


Sea of Hearts

by GoddessOfAries



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Kara doesn't have her powers, Lena has powers, Navy Captain Kara, Pirate lena, Pirates, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-13 04:48:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 108,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29023002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessOfAries/pseuds/GoddessOfAries
Summary: The mysterious but infamous pirate captain, Lena Luthor, rules the sea with an iron grip. Known for her lack of heart and morals, she attacks anyone who is foolish enough to cross her path.Kara Danvers, a navy captain tasked with hunting down the Queen of the Sea, underestimates her opponent. Taken hostage, she realizes that maybe Lena Luthor isn’t as heartless as the stories make her out to be.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 212
Kudos: 479





	1. The Clashing of Tides

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers! A few things before I start off this story:  
> 1)This is a story I originally wrote with my own characters, so if there are any random names in the first 4 chapters could someone point them out? (Names that should NOT be in the story: Layla, Ewin, Aries). Thank you so much!  
> 2) This story has acts of major violence and eventual smut, so this is my Trigger Warning... Let me know if you'd like me to mark NSFW/TW sections of the story so you know what to skip over; I want everyone to enjoy this.  
> 3) And finally, thank you so much for choosing to read this fanfic! I hope everyone enjoys as we go through this journey together. I'm very excited to see where this story goes!
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!  
> -Aries

Kara Danvers walked down the cobblestone pathway that lined the court yard. There were a group of soldiers in grey uniforms standing in formation, all gathered in a long line. A Sergeant yelled out a direction, the soldiers in training turning in unison. They continued to practice as Kara strolled past, crossing through the court yard and entering the inner naval fort. She had just been summoned to her general’s office for what she knew was going to be her next assignment. 

Kara reached Isaac Hebrew’s office, knocking twice before entering. He was sitting at his desk, another naval captain sitting slightly off center from him, back turned to the door. Kara stood stiffly at attention as she stepped fully into the room. Isaac Hebrew looked from the other captain to Kara. “Ah, Captain Danvers! I’m happy to see you’re back from your trip,” General Hebrew said with curt nod.

Kara returned the nod while Hebrew offhandedly told her to at-ease, inviting her to sit down. Kara did as she was told, glancing at the other captain as she adjusted herself in the slightly uncomfortable chair. She recognized the man as Franklin Rowell; He captained a larger fighter ship named The Harpy. It was well known for being one of the most well-armed ships within a hundred miles. Right next to Kara’s ship, The Oryx.

Normally Kara was assigned to be alone during her deployments, or if she did have a second hand they weren’t nearly as armored as The Harpy. She silently wondered what task they were going to be given that required such heavy fire power.

Kara didn’t have to wait long for her answer, Hebrew launching straight into their assignment. “I have you both here because I need you two to work together; you’re the best captains in the fleet, and the most armed in all of the Royal Navy. The Harpy and The Oryx will be put on an escort assignment.” Kara tried not to quirk her eyebrow. An escort assignment? What- or who –was so important that it needed both of them to be its escort?

Hebrew seemed to see the confusion on Kara’s face, briefly explaining more. “The Queen has personally asked for you two. She recognizes your near perfect track records, and knows you’ll get the job done right.” Isaac glanced between his two captains, thick eyebrows low in concentration.

After a pause Kara couldn’t help but ask the question burning in her mind. “What exactly are we escorting, sir?” Hebrew met her gaze, prepared for the question. “Officially, you’re transporting a simple shipment of supplies to our allies across the sea… Unofficially, you’re escorting Sameer Humphrey back to his kingdom.”

Sameer Humphrey was the king of the neighboring continent, which just so happened to be a very important trading route and a very powerful ally. “But sir, doesn’t Humphrey have is own naval fleet?” Rowell asked, raising his own eyebrow. 

“He does, but technically he’s not supposed to be here; which is why you two will tell no one about who you are escorting… Not even your crew. If anyone should ask, you’re transporting a simple shipment of supplies to allies across the sea.” Hebrew gave a stern look to each of his captains, trying to make sure they understood.

Rowell put a hand to his chin, petting his scraggily mustache as he leaned on his elbow. Both captains were rather confused, looking to their general. It was an odd assignment and Kara had many questions. Why was Sameer Humphrey secretly on their side of the ocean? What was he doing with the Queen that no one could know about?

“You two will set sail tomorrow morning. You have two weeks to get the shipment to its required destination.” Kara tried not to show her disgruntlement. Where they needed to go wasn’t exactly close, and with only two weeks it would be near impossible to get there on time. It normally took over a month in her experience, but she had to remind herself that that was with multiple stops and different ports. Kara and Franklin would have to plan their path very carefully in order for this to work, but something told Kara that they weren’t on the same page.

Hebrew dismissed the two captains, both of them getting up and leaving the room silently. Franklin hadn’t said much the entire meeting, but as soon as the doors closed he started ordering Kara around. “Come with me to my ship so we can chart a course.” Rowell led the way to The Harpy; she was a boring brown stained ship with blue and white sails. However, she was extremely large with some beautiful artillery mounted on her.

Rowell took Kara into his captain’s quarters, the main room being an office. There was a large table with many maps messily strewn across. Straight away the two got to business, Rowell pulling out a map that showed the entire known sea and continents.

“I believe the fastest way to get there would be to head straight north, through this ocean, then cut west when we reach this point on the coast,” Kara suggested as soon as she looked at the maps, pointing out the area’s she mentioned. There weren’t any obstacles in the way, and it was a rather direct path. Most importantly it was safe, and Kara liked safe.

“I heard that the currents around this Gulf are the best. We should go west, under the southern coast, then north through the Gulf,” Rowell explained in an almost lazy tone, like he wasn’t even listening to Kara. She studied the path Rowell was pointing out, arms crossed over her chest.

The bottom left corner of the map had no information on it, just the image of sea monsters and fog, which line the entire border of the map. Normally people would ignore the decorative fog, but it gave Kara an uneasy feeling. “What do you think is in there? It’d be best to avoid anything we’re uncertain about. I’ve never taken the path you’re talking about, and it looks longer.”

“Those are just some decorative drawings, Danvers. Nothing more. That’s where the currents are best, so I’ve heard. It’s longer, but faster.” Rowell was older and a more experienced captain, seeming to be very sure of himself. He talked as if he had sailed the route before. It made Kara start to doubt her plan hearing Rowell talk. “You’re certain those monsters mean nothing? We’re sailing quite close to them.”

Rowell waved his hand, scoffing as if Kara just asked a dumb question. “I swear on my life that it’s a simple drawing! There’s never been a reported attack in that area.” The uneasy feeling grew inside Kara, settling into a pit in her stomach. She chalked it up to nerves, having always stayed safe with her sailing.

“Very well then. If you insist. I look forward to sailing with you, captain.” Despite her ‘endearing’ words, she offered no hand to shake. Instead, she turned and escorted herself off The Harpy, feeling vaguely confused and unsure. She should have pushed a little harder on taking a different way, but the last time she tried to question a more experienced captain she almost lost her rank.

So, Kara decided to push down her anxiety. She made her way to her vessel, The Oryx. She was a large ship- although a little smaller than The Harpy –and was almost as heavily armed. The Oryx was painted an almost black navy blue with a bright red stripe running along the upper side. Her sails were white, bleached clean almost every time Kara docked her. The Oryx was her pride and joy, so she made sure to take good care of her.

As Kara walked onto the desk, the men who were working on maintenance stood at attention. Someone yelled, “Captain on deck!” Kara nodded her approval, allowing the men to continue their work. Kara had a crew of about thirty men, but most of them were in the city using their last day to write letters to their family for the last time for two weeks… That, or they were spending some time at bars and brothels, not having a family to write to.

Kara went to her quarters, sitting at the large desk and pulling out paperwork. With every assignment Kara had to record how much estimated provisions they were going to go through, to let the higher ups know how much they needed for future trips. It was a sort of inventory system, in short.

As she worked there was a vigorous knock on the door. “Come in,” Kara called, looking up from her papers. A man in a grey sailors uniform stepped in, smiling wide as he looked at Kara. Winn Schott was a very bubbly man who always had something funny to say. His short brown hair was always wild and snarled from the sea wind, and he never seemed to learn how to properly shave.

Winn was Kara’s first mate and like a brother to her. He had been in port for the past three months, having to deal with a sick family member while Kara sailed through her past deployment. She had written him weeks ago telling him to be in this specific town by this date, happy to see he had listened.

It was the first time they had seen each other in such a long time that Kara couldn’t help but jump up from her desk bear hugging Winn. They held the embrace for a few moments before Kara pulled away. “It’s good to see you, Winn! How’s the land been treating you?” Winn’s signature grin grew wider. “It’s a little too still for me, to be honest. The women here are fantastic, though! I was sweet on one for a few weeks,” Winn chuckled, inviting himself into the cabin further.

“I’m certain it broke the poor girls heart to see you go; like all the others,” Kara faked sympathy, pressing a palm over her heart. Winn was a notorious womanizer who refused to stay with one woman for over a month.

“There were tears,” Winn said as he lazily looked at the map on Kara’s desk, “but I told her I had to get back to my beautiful Captain.” He mischievously looked up, eyes displaying his testing yet flirtatious meaning. Kara pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. “She must have been very confused, considering she probably assumed your captain was another man and all.” Winn laughed, both at his failed attempt to swoon Kara, and the blankly stated comment.

“She was very confused, yes.” Kara rolled her eyes, never understanding Winn’s humor. “So where are we going now, Captain?” Winn switched back to the maps on the table. Kara stepped in closer to her work, pointing at where they were now. She explained Captain Rowell’s plan, and that they were going to follow him.

Winn showed his confusion about the route they were going, but he didn’t seem worried about the unknown fog like Kara was. “Why would he risk going such an experimental way? What are we escorting that seems to be of such little importance to him?” Winn looked up with a furrowed brow.

Kara thought back to Hebrew’s warning; No one must know- not even her crew –who they were transporting. “An important merchants ship that’s carrying supplies for the neighboring government. I think there might be crown jewels thrown in there as well.” Winn hummed in understanding, nodding.

“Ah, that explains why Rowell is so careless. He thinks that he should be showing off his ‘skill’ for the royals. What a self-image obsessed prick.” Winn’s comment made sense; if he was going to show off, why not do it for the king himself? He must be trying to show how fast he can sail. Winn was right, that was incredibly selfish… Still, Kara knew there was no point to try and go against his plan. He was obviously dead set on trying to astonish everyone.

“Yes, well… Let him show off. As long as we get there with no damage, I don’t care.” Winn agreed, turning away from the maps. “Well, I better go tell the boys and do a roll call before it gets too late.” He started to walk out of the door, but paused to look at Kara. “It’s good to see you, Kara. Truly.” Kara smiled and gave a dismissive nod. With that, Winn was gone, closing the door behind himself.

**********

The ship rocked and swayed over the ocean waves. The Harpy and The Oryx had set sail two hours ago, a small merchant shipped named Leviathan sailing between them. It felt good to be back on the water. Kara felt truly at home, more than she ever felt on land.

Kara stood on the raised deck of the stern, looking out where the coast had once been. Her crew was lively behind her, running around the ship and making sure they were staying at the same speed as The Harpy and Leviathan. The first two days passed like that, and for the most part everything went smoothly. On the evening of the second day, however, Kara noticed a storm way off in the distance. It looked to be just off the southern coast; right where they were supposed to be passing.

Kara quickly wrote a message to The Harpy on a tiny scroll, asking if they planned on going through the storm. It would be dangerous, and danger was the opposite of what they needed on this mission. Kara attached the letter to the hawk they used to send messages back and forth between naval vessels. Within the hour Kara got a message back. It read;

_”We will be traveling further south to avoid the clouds. The currents should still be strong a few miles off the coast. –Rowell”_

Kara frowned. Further south meant closer to the fog she was worried about. Those were uncharted water. It was then that Kara remembered the aloof pirate she had been tasked to hunt years ago; Captain Athena. 

Queen Victoria, the ruler she lived under, had asked her personally at a formal dancing event being held in her palace to hunt down the Pirate Queen. That had been two years, the queen mentioning that the assignment was top secret and Kara had to continue on with her regular navy duties while she searched. 

For the first year of the assignment Kara worked hard on searching for the Pirate Queen, but with her normal naval assignments she got stuck at a dead end. It didn’t help that Captain Athena had also suddenly disappeared.

What if south was where this captain had been hiding for so long? No one had spotted her for a year and a half now. Kara silently hoped she could stay hidden for a little longer. Regardless, however, the storm was just as dangerous as the unknown parts of the sea. There would be no choice but to follow Rowell’s lead.

The three ships floated off into the night, The Harpy turning to move slightly south. Kara tried to keep record of where they were, using her map and charting tools, but the further south they got, the more uneasy she felt. They were so far down at this point that she couldn’t even use maps anymore. They had fallen off the edge.

The evening of the second day trailed into the morning of the third. All night there had been no sightings of anything unusual. Now, however, there was some small dot on the southern horizon to Kara’s left. Winn pointed it out to a sleep deprived Kara, who grabbed her largest spy glass and looked into its direction.

Ships… They were ships. Kara could see the sails, although they were small black blobs to her. Kara wasted no time in sending another message to The Harpy. Her stomach churned as she waited for the reply to come;

_”There’s no reason to fret so much, Captain Danvers. We will be gone before they even get close. The tides are in our favor. –Rowell”_

That didn’t ease Kara’s anxiety. If anything, it made it worse. She tore the letter up in frustration, walking to the port of her ship. She kept her blue eyes trained on the small blob of ships for hours, not daring to look away. She wasn’t able to count how many ships there were, but one was already too many for her.

All morning nothing eventful happened, so Winn told Kara to take a break to eat and rest her eyes. “You’ve hardly blinked since you noticed them,” were his exact words. Reluctantly, Kara agreed and stepped away. She was down in her cabin for maybe two hours, eating and trying to chart where they were now.; they were still off the edge of the map.

Kara had just thrown down her tools in frustration when Winn hurried into her cabin. He was pale, a letter from The Harpy clutched in his hand;

_”Protect the Leviathan”_

Kara burst out of her chair and stormed up to the main deck. The ships were maybe 3 leagues away. Now Kara could clearly count five large ships. When Kara looked at them through the spy glass, her heart sank. The flat of the largest ship showed a red skull with a bloody heart in its mouth.

Captain Athena was back.

Collapsing her spyglass, Kara turned to her crew. She could feel her face blanch, but she kept her composure. Kara started to call directions out to her crew in a loud voice, pointing as she ordered them to different stations. They needed to flank the Leviathan, to keep from any harm coming to it. Kara took the wheel herself, guiding The Oryx over to the Leviathan.

She got them close enough for a board to be put between them, instructing for some of her soldiers to go onto their deck. She was so occupied with the Leviathan that Kara only just noticed The Harpy fleeing. Her sails were fully out, and Kara could see that the men were throwing heavy, useless items out the sides of the ship to make it lighter. “Those fucking cowards,” Kara growled through gritted teeth.

Despite The Harpy’s attempts, however, they didn’t seem to be going very fast. Slowly they came even closer, to the point where Kara was actually starting to come closer them. They weren’t speeding up, so how was The Harpy so slow?

Kara glanced at the fleet behind them and saw they were almost upon them, coming in with incredible speed. Was this what the stories meant when they said Captain Athena had control of the sea? She could hear the men on The Harpy starting to yell at one another in panic realizing they were now moving backwards.

Kara looked at Winn, who had also noticed the enemy getting closer at an unnaturally quick pace. “Take the wheel, Winn. I need to get my weapons.” Winn’s face paled, but he nodded and grabbed the helm. Just before Kara started to run down the stairs to the main deck, she noticed The Harpy was now drifting past them, as if they were being sucked closer to Captain Athena by a vacuum.

Unable to bother with the deserters, Kara hurried down to her quarters. She grabbed her flint pistol, a bag of ammunition, and her officer’s sword. She had just finished strapping the sword to her side when she heard the first shot. There was the sound of splintering wood seconds after, but Kara didn’t feel any sort of jolt or impact.

She ran back onto the main deck of her ship just in time to see The Harpy’s main mast collapse into the water a few hundred feet behind them. It damaged the main deck heavily as it crashed down, like a tree falling onto a house.

Kara’s first thought was to leave The Harpy; let the pirates get distracted with taking her down while The Oryx and Leviathan got away. However, she knew that wouldn’t work. The Devil’s Heart was impossibly fast. Kara was starting to believe more and more that Captain Athena had some sort of mystical power over the tides.

Instead of running, Kara took command of the cannons, ordering them to be drawn and aimed at Captain Athena’s fleet. The Leviathan seemed to also get ready for battle, drawing out small guns. The Devil’s Heart shot three more times with forward facing canons mounted to the bow of the ship.

All of them hit The Harpy in the back of the stern, causing it to take on water quickly. The bow started to lift very slightly out of the water. Kara cursed under her breath, taking the wheel from Winn. She quickly started to turn left so The Oryx would spin around to face the pirate fleet. Two of the five ships were focused on The Harpy, pulling up to board her. The Devil’s Heart and two other ships focused on the Leviathan and The Oryx.

Kara could feel the adrenaline pumping through her body when she got The Oryx into position, the front of her ship pointed towards the fleet now. “Aim!” Kara yelled over the wind and cannon fire. Her men scrambled to the bow facing guns, loading them and turning towards the closest ship- a small yellow vessel with black sails. “Fire!” Kara called out.

There were four deafening shots that rang out, all but one hitting the yellow ship in the bow. The Harpy had now been boarded by the two ships, and Kara could hear the gunfire and screaming. The Leviathan was shooting their small cannons as the Devil’s Heart, but missed each time. Their guns seemed to have terrible range and accuracy.

Kara ordered for The Oryx to fire again, hitting the yellow ship once, and a blue ship twice. They seemed to be protecting the Devil’s Heart, surrounding her and only moving when she went to shoot. The Devil’s Heart fired at They Oryx, grazing her across the deck. Kara gasped as the entire ship rocked from the impact, gripping the wheel for balance.

Taking a breath to steady herself, Kara ordered for The Oryx to fire again, now in a position for all port guns to shoot. Fifteen shots rang out, all of them decimating the closest yellow ship. The entire vessel was split in half, splintering as the stern quickly started to sink into the water. The crew of The Oryx called out in triumph, but it was short lived.

The Harpy was sunk, and now there were all four ships focused on The Oryx and Leviathan. Kara swallowed hard. She no longer focused her efforts on the ship closest to her, instead ordering her men to fire at the ship closest to the Leviathan. Another fifteen shots went out, but most of them landed just short in the water.

A countless amount of cannon fire came from the four ship fleet. All of them shredded through the Leviathan and The Oryx. The Leviathan started to visibly sink, getting surrounded by Captain Athena’s fleet. The Devil’s Heart looked to be boarding her, and Kara knew their secret cargo was in danger.

Kara turned The Oryx around as fast as she could. She needed to stop them from getting to the king. As she was steering, Winn ran up to her. The Oryx crew continued to shoot off defensive rounds of cannon fire as Winn yelled to Kara, “Captain, the Leviathan is lost! We must leave her. We can still get out of here! Why are we risking our lives for this cargo?!”

No, they couldn’t get away. Even if Kara turned this ship around right now, with the Devil’s Heart busy boarding the Leviathan, the fleet was too fast. Something supernatural slowed her ship down, preventing The Oryx from running. Besides, Kara refused to become a coward and run like the Harpy. Look how far that got them. The entire ship was now below the churning, foaming sea.

Kara ordered for another wave of cannon balls, heavily hitting the blue ship, before answering Winn. “That ship has Sameer Humphrey on it, Winn. This was supposed to be a secret assignment. We protect that ship with our lives!” 

Winn looked shocked, visibly blanching, but as another round of cannon balls hit The Oryx, he ran back to his station. Kara knew they were going down, feeling their speed slow due to the water that was pouring through their hull. That didn’t stop her from getting close to the damaged blue ship.

Within seconds of getting close pirates were swinging onto the deck of The Oryx. The first wave was taken down quickly, but the second group swung in right behind them. Kara tried to keep steering for as long as possible. Her goal was to use what was left of The Oryx as a battering ram. Hopefully she could cripple the Devil’s Heart and kill Captain Athena before she got to the king.

A pirate came running up to Ewin, screaming as he held his sword high. Kara quickly stepped backwards, drawing her pistol just in time to shoot him in the chest. The pirate collapsed to the ground and Kara took the helm again.

They were three hundred feet from the Devil’s Heart. They crossed between two ships, The Oryx’s hull scraping along their sides. That didn’t stop them, though.

Two hundred feet. Kara stepped away to shoot at some more pirates who were trying to stop her.

One hundred feet. The ship that had once been Kara’s pride and joy was now nothing but future drift wood. Kara clenched her teeth as emotion welled inside of her.   
Fifty Feet.

Twenty-Five Feet.

“Brace!” Kara screamed to anyone who could hear her.

There was an earth shattering crash as The Oryx slammed into the Devil’s Heart’s hull. Water started to foam and froth over the sides of the ship, The Oryx officially sinking. Kara blindly shot at anyone who was not her crew until she was out of bullets. 

Then she pulled her officers saber out, fighting with a large- but slow –pirate. She dodged his swings easily, stepping forward and driving her sword into his gut. The man fell, but Kara had no time to check if he was dead.

She needed to get to Captain Athena. 

To kill her.

Everything was chaos. People were slashing and swinging all around her. The crew of The Oryx were falling, one after another, but so were Captain Athena’s men. The air was thick was smoke and it smelt like blood and salt.

Kara stepped over and on top of so many bodies, but she had no time to pay attention to her footing. She was just about to reach a clearing when suddenly all the wind was knocked out of her. Someone had tackled Kara, pushing a warm pistol barrel to her head. The man looked like he was about to pull the trigger when he noticed the blue color of Kara’s uniform, indicating her naval rank.

The man looked overjoyed, switching the pistol around to bash the side of Kara’s head. The last thing Kara felt was the searing pain of the pistol whip in her temple, and the muscles in her neck wrenching painfully as her head snapped to the side. Her vision went black, the sound of shouting and gunfire all around her fading into silence.

**********

When Kara woke up, all she could smell was gunpowder, iron, and salt. She could feel blood crusted onto the side of her face, and her entire body hurt. Kara slowly opened her eyes to see she was lying face down on the deck of a ship. The sun was blinding, Kara grinding her teeth together as she squinted through the glaring pain. This wasn’t The Oryx she was laying on, noticing that the decking was painted black.

Kara knew exactly where she was, her heart sinking. 

Someone lifted her up by her bound arms, sitting her up on her knees, allowing her to get a good view of the ship around her. The black and crimson colors of the ship were the Devil’s Heart’s colors. 

Kara was surrounded by pirates, but to her right was a line of her own people. Winn, Captain Rowell, two men she didn’t recognize, and the king all knelt there, bound just like her.

Winn looked at Kara with wide, terrified eyes. He had a painful looking cut along his chest, the other captives looking just as rugged and beat up. Kara didn’t know what to feel first; fear over the fact that she was capture by the most ruthless pirate in all of history, or anger over her lost crew and ship.

The group of captives were surrounded by a large group of bloodied pirates, all of them looking excited for what was apparently going to come next. 

The sound of boots slowly thudding across the deck emerged over the sound of dull chatter. 

The pirates went silent, turning to look at the source of the noise. A few men parted to the side to let someone walk through. At first there was too much glare from the sun over the figures head, making it hard for Kara to see who was walking through the crowd. As the figure got closer, however, Kara could see who it was perfectly.

Strands of hair blacker than night hung out of the wide-brimmed hat, a bun tied low and lose to keep most of the long black hair off of the captains shoulders. Strong features that were oddly pale despite being out in the constant sun peered from under the feathered hat. A smirk pulling at painted crimson lips. Her outfit looked well worn, yet there were no holes or patches to be seen, unlike her crew. She was pristine, her face beautiful but deadly.

Captain Athena had piercing green eyes that scanned across the line of captives. There was no emotion behind them, a hard pull to her perfect brow despite the smirk of glee on Athena’s face. In any other context Kara would have openly admitted that she thought the woman standing before her was the most beautiful person she’d ever seen, but the blood of her crew members splattered across Athena’s face and clothing destroyed any sort of attraction.

As Athena scanned the captives, her ice green eyes landed on King Humphery. Her smirk grew, the emotion seemingly stuck on the lower half of her face. “Gentlemen… It looks like we have royalty in our midst.” Captain Athena did a fake, obnoxious bow, her crew chuckling. Some spit at the king’s face, making him wince away.

Athena stood straight, stepping closer to the king. She reached out with a heavily ringed hand to grab his jaw, forcing Sameer to look up at her. She was tall compared to most women Kara knew, but Kara was at least 6 feet tall, so most women were short in her mind. It did help, however, that Athena’s boots gave her an extra two inches of height.

“Why were you in such a rush to leave the party, your majesty?” The crew laughed again, but the king said nothing. He looked stoically up at Captain Athena, eyes narrowing. She sneered at his silence, shoving his face away. His lack of reactions seemed to bore her already.

“Do you know how much money I could get if I sold you to one of my business partners, Humphery?” Athena paced theatrically, glancing around her crew before looking back at her captive. “Let’s just say I would be able to go into retirement for good, and still have millions left over.”

Kara frowned, clenching her fists angrily behind her back as she watched Athena stroll back over to the king. “but rumor has it you’ve been sleeping with someone I despise.” Humphery’s stoic features broke into a shocked look, obviously wondering how Athena found out. 

His face gave the captain all the confirmation she needed.

Athena’s face grew red with rage. She pulled a dazzling sword from its scabbard at her side, pointing it under the king’s chin. “Anyone willing to sleep with that vile creature you call a queen deserves to die.” Before Kara could even think to say anything to stop the pirate captain, she pushed effortlessly forward, her sword piercing straight through the king’s neck.

Athena didn’t stop until the hand guard hit Sameer’s throat. She leaned close to his face and growled, “The deepest layer of hell awaits you, your majesty.” With a flourish, she ripped the blade out, sending blood splattering across the deck.

A few more strands of black hair fell across Athena’s face as she stood up straight again. She took her obnoxious hat off, tossing it to a random crew member to brush the hair back. When the crew member offered the hat again, she denied it with a simple wave of her hand.

Now her attention was placed on the remaining captives. Kara could feel her own rage boiling inside of her, knowing she had officially failed her mission. The king was dead, and Athena was going to win. If only looks could kill.

“I’m terribly sorry for making the rest of you wait.” Athena smiled sweetly, turning to the man who had been next to Sameer Humphery. She questioned who she was coldly. The man answered that he was the captain of the Leviathan with a quivering voice, fear clear as day in his eyes.

Of course he was stabbed straight away, right in the gut. Athena scolded him for willingly helping the king, saying whoever helped such a man- a man who slept with her enemy –was just as bad as her enemy.

Next was the Leviathan’s first mate. He died screaming, but was shut up when a crew member broke his jaw with an aggressive kick. Captain Rowell was next. He was crying as he answered Athena’s questions about who he was. A look of recognition passed over her face. “Ah… So you’re the cowards who tried to run when you saw us,” Athena said in an amused voice. She cut his throat as he was begging for his life, not even bothering to let the Leviathans first mate beg or cry before she decapitated him with her sword.

Finally, Captain Athena turned to Winn and Kara. She visibly paused, her gaze studying Kara before switching lazily to Winn with much less interest on her face. “A female captain? So you must be the first mate.” Athena casually gestured her blood covered sword between the two of them, as if pointing.

Winn stoically nodded, his eyes hard. “And did you know who you were escorting?” Winn paused and slowly shook his head. Athena looked at Kara, who glared back for a moment before nodding. Athena moved to press her blade against Kara’s neck. It was uncomfortably warm, sticky with blood. “I’ll allow you some last words, considering you managed to sink one of my ships.”

Kara’s eyes narrowed. “I should have tried harder to find and kill you when I had the chance.” This made Athena pause. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. “And what do you mean by that?” There was no reason for Kara to be quiet about her past secrete assignment anymore. “That queen you hate so much hired me two years ago to kill you… But you disappeared before I could.”

Kara ground her teeth as she continued to try setting Athena ablaze just by looking at her; it didn’t seem to be working. Athena’s smiled slowly faded, her sword dropping from her hand. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Kara by the throat. Athena pushed backwards until the back of Kara’s head slammed heavily against the side wall of the ship, stars shooting across her vision. Athena’s fingers tightened against her throat, pressing against the artery in Kara’s neck.

“Leave her alone, you heartless bastard!” Winn yelled, struggling against his ties. He fell over for a moment as he tried to move towards the two captains. Everyone was so occupied with Athena and Kara that they didn’t move to catch him in time.

Winn managed to get to his feet and bodily slam into Athena, knocking them both to the deck. Within half a second five men were dragging Winn off their leader violently. Athena quickly stood, her lip split from getting head butted by Kara’s first mate.

Kara watched in terror as Athena grabbed her fallen sword. Rage radiated off the pirate captain, her grip on the hilt so tight it turned her knuckles white. The men holding Winn shoved him to his knees, bending his torso back so his chest was directed towards the sky.

Thick black clouds swarmed overhead without warning, lighting striking close by. Athena seemed to swell in anger, her ice green eyes ablaze. “You want to see heartless?! _I’ll show you heartless!_ ” 

Athena raised her sword high.

Kara tried screaming out for her to stop. 

It was too late, the sword lurching forward and piercing Winn’s chest. With jagged, awkward movements the captain carved his heart out. Winn screamed, his voice mixing with Kara’s pleading cries. Within less than a minute Athena had Winn’s heart in her hand, her men throwing the body to the ground.

Kara continued to scream gibberish at Athena, refusing to look at Winn’s body. Athena turned to Kara, seeming to have had enough. “Shut up!” The pommel of her sword swung around and slammed into Kara’s already throbbing temple

Kara’s vision went black, falling to the side

Into a puddle of her first mates blood.


	2. Captain Athena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena takes her new 'guest' to where she's been hiding for a year and a half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, but I just wanted to establish Lena's POV and what she thinks of our Navy captain. I'll probably randomly switch to Lena's side of the story through out all of this.
> 
> Now, on to the story!  
> -Aries

Lena watched her men throw the bodies of the dead king and officers over the side of the ship. Her hand was still crusted with the blood of the man she had just killed- she couldn’t understand the name the female captain was screaming.

She saw her crew start to pull up the unconscious captain, putting a knife to her throat. “Wait,” Lena called out coolly. Her crew instantly paused, looking at her with confused eyes. “Take her to a cell. I still have questions for her.”

The crew did as they were told, dragging the limp captain away. Lena took one more glance around the ship, tossing the still warm heart into the sea and grabbing her hat before walking over to the steering column where a trusted pirate sailed the Devil’s Heart. “Take us to the island.”

Once in her cabin, Lena could properly clean up. She poured fresh water into a basin and started to scrub her hands and face, washing the blood off of them. Her lip still stung terribly, and she mentally cursed the dead bastard that bashed her in the face. Although she guessed she had already cursed him enough, considering his gruesome death.

As she finished cleaning up, her first mate- Callum –entered her room. He still had soot and blood on him from the battle. “What’s the damages to my ship?” Lena asked in her casually cool voice. “We have a breach in the hull, but it’s above water, so it’s not putting us in any danger. A few broken planks and windows as well.”

Lena frowned, but was content that there were no serious damages. “And the others?” Lena started to undress from her blood splattered coat, removing her weapons along with it. “The Dutchess was sunk, and the Blue Jay has been heavily damaged. The crew says she’s slowly leaking water.” 

Lena hummed as she turned her back to Callum, now filling her water basin to wash her hands and face. “I have Jamison taking us to the island. We can have Leo repair the damages,” Lena said more to herself than her first mate.

“One last question before you can go, Callum.” Her voice was sharp as she looked up into the mirror in front of her.

Callum froze with his fidgeting, staring at his captain. Lena had kept herself calm up until this point; in reality she was seething at how the battle went. “Tell me… Who was sailing when I left the helm to board the Leviathan?” She slowly turned, giving Callum a vicious look.

Her first mate paled, swallowing as he thought quickly. “Dino was the last I saw at the helm, Captain. He took it when you boarded the Leviathan.” Lena ground her teeth. She quickly dressed into a new coat, strapping her sword back onto her side. She strutted back out onto the deck of her ship, scanning the crew. Dino was a small, scrawny man, who had been in Lena’s crew for only a few months.

Once Lena spotted Dino, she went straight towards him. Dino, unware of her anger, gave Lena a small nod of greeting. He was in the middle of saying, “Captain,” When Lena’s hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat.

Her fingers trembled with anger as she dragged the flailing crew member to the side of her ship, leaning him backwards so far that he was leaning well over the railing. “Who gave you the order to take the helm?” Lena asked in a seething tone. 

She moved her grip up to Dino’s jaw so he could breath and talk- although with some difficulty. “N-no one, sir!” Dino looked terrified, his hands gripping onto Lena’s jacket sleeve for dear life. “Then what in god’s name made you think it was okay to take the helm?!”

“I-I just thought you meant for someone to take over when you stepped away! I didn’t mean anything by it- I was just trying to help!” Dino’s voice was shrill, cracking in fear as tears started to glisten in his eyes. Lena sneered, giving her crew member a jolt, causing him to scream and attempt to scramble back up.

Lena didn’t let him go, her grip iron tight as she pushed him further over the edge. By now his feet were off the deck, kicking in the air. “Because of your stupidity the Devil’s Heart is damaged!” Dino looked confused and frantic, his breath coming out in rapid, uneven puffs.

The water below the ship started to bubble and churn, most active right under Lena’s hanging crew member. Slowly, the head of a massive green sea serpent started to rise out of the water, eyes fixed on Dino. He turned his head as best he could, hearing the bubbling water, eyes landing on the sea monster.

Dino instantly started to scream bloody murder, flailing even harder and clawing, yet he dared not lay a hand on Lena. “I control the sea… I don’t need help steering my own damn ship.” With that, Lena’s grip- the only thing holding Dino on board –loosened completely.

The crew member screamed as he fell into the bubbling water, landing with a loud splash. The serpent made a guttural hissing noise before diving into the water. Dino surfaced, his eyes wide and face red from screaming. He tried to start swimming away, but only got about ten feet before massive jaws appeared from beneath the water, surrounding him.

With a bone shaking _SNAP_ the jaws clapped closed. The serpent curled down into the water, body rolling across the surface of the waves before the tail flicked out and disappeared. Lena gave the water a satisfied smile before turning back to her crew.

They had been watching, but as soon as their captain looked at them, they turned back to their work. Lena took a deep breath and started to walk back to her cabin. The ships in her fleet gave a noticeable lurch, visibly picking up speed as the water continued to churn to Lena’s will. Before she was fully in her cabin, Lena turned to Callum, who had been close behind her the entire time. “Tell me when our new captain friend is awake.”

**********

It was well into the night when Lena got a knock on her door. She looked up from the book she was reading, setting her still full glass of wine down. “Enter,” She answered coolly. Callum opened the door, nodding to his captain. “The woman is awake… She’s already asking questions.”

Lena gave a mischievous grin, nodding her thanks to her first mate. She took her time enjoying the smell of her wine, finishing up the chapter she was reading before grabbing one of her candles and leaving the captains quarters. She made her way down to the very bottom of the ship, where there were three small cells. Her captive captain was in the farthest.

The blonde woman winced at the bright candle light in the complete darkness, but once her eyes adjusted, she glared at Lena. “Why am I here?” She spat out. Lena felt a sadistic joy rise in her chest, a cruel smile pulling at her lips. “Because I have some questions for you.” The woman sneered, crossing her arms and pushing herself as far away from Lena as possible, sitting up against the cell wall. That only amused Lena further. 

She took a moment to look at the beat up captain.

Under the crusted blood and nasty gas on the woman’s face, she was rather beautiful. Her eyes were large and a deep blue color. It was fitting that she was a captain of the sea. Lena was sure that if her naval officers uniform wasn’t so dirty; it’d help bring the ocean blue out of those perfectly shaped eyes.

Her skin was beautifully tanned, a stark contrast to Lena’s unnaturally pale complexion. It came with the curse over her, but honestly Lena didn’t mind her ivory tone.

The woman’s hair was disheveled, although it looked like it had once been in an intricate bun. Now it was just a wavy, sand colored mess. Under all the blood and soot, the woman’s face was a slight shade of red, showing her anger as Lena just studied her.

She seemed well built, with broad shoulders and noticeably rippling muscles under her torn uniform. Lena had no doubt that she could throw a solid punch, her hands clearly calloused. As the captive woman shifted, clearly uncomfortable on the wood flooring beneath her, her toned body flexed attractively.

Although the woman was curled up, she was very clearly tall. Possibly 6 feet, compared to Lena’s 5’8” height without her boots on. Even with her tall height, she had a very alluring hour glass figure under the crumpled naval uniform. 

Lena felt the corner of her mouth twitch up in amusement, seeing the rage behind those beautiful blue eyes.

“What’s your name?” Lena asked calmly. The naval captain glared at her captor before begrudgingly answering. “Captain Kara Danvers.” Lena snorted. “Not captain anymore, I’m afraid. Your ship sank with all the others.” Kara’s face showed her shock and sadness for only a brief moment before becoming stoic. She said nothing, so Lena took that as a sign to keep questioning. “You said Victoria hired you to kill me?”

Kara shifted, visibly contemplating if she should say anything. Lena was about to threaten her with violent persuasion when she finally spoke. “She did… Two years ago, just before you disappeared… Where did you go for a year and a half, anyways?”

Lena only laughed. “I’m the one asking questions, not you.” Kara frowned, pulling her knees to her chest even more. The anger in her face was honestly adorable to Lena, although she was certainly glad there was a cage separating them at the moment.

“What’s the harm in telling me? I’ll be dead and unable to tell your secrets anyways,” Kara huffed. She was clearly a curious person, and although she liked to play at her acceptance of her death Lena could see the flash of fear in her eyes.

“Who said I was going to kill you?” Lena raised an eyebrow as she smirked. Kara’s face twisted in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing for a moment before they lowered in the anger that made Lena’s spine tingle. “You killed everyone else who was even vaguely related to the queen’s business, yet you’re not going to kill the person hired to assassinate you?”

Lena had already prepared for the question, figuring it was going to be asked at some point. She scoffed at the bloody captain. “Maybe I want to show mercy to a fellow female captain.” Kara narrowed her eyes, causing Lena to start laughing. “Oh, of course you’re too smart to believe that… No, in reality I plan on taking you to the queen… To show her she failed in trying to get rid of me. _Then_ I’ll kill you.”

If Lena could feel pity, she would have felt it as she watched Kara’s face fall into a defeated look. “So I’m just here for your revenge scheme.” Lena hummed in sick amusement, grinning almost sweetly to her captive. “Pretty much, Ms. Danvers… Now, enough with the questions; how about we get you cleaned up and out of those rags?”

Lena stood, leaving to grab a rope and crew member. When she returned, Kara was standing, back still pressed against the farthest wall. Lena fished the cell key from her pocket, taking the rope from her crew member.

“If you try anything, Ms. Danvers, I’ll forget my revenge and make sure to kill you slowly,” Lena said in a stern voice. Kara looked defiant, but when Lena opened the cell door, she didn’t rush forward or do anything stupid. As Lena figured, Kara was smart enough to know when to shut up and do as she was told.

The pirate captain instructed her to hold out her hands, tightly tying them up with rope before leading Kara out of the cell and up to the top deck. The Devil’s Heart was illuminated by a few torches and a full moon. They were docked in a ship yard, being held on a beach with thick logs and tall scaffolding. There were men in the middle of repairing the ship, removing the damaged sections and replacing them with fresh planks of wood.

Lena could see Kara looking around the tropical beach in confusion. “Where are we?” She asked aloud, looking to her captor. “My own private island. We’re going to rest in the small town a mile or two from here.” The rather adorable look of confusion that deepened on Kara’s face made Lena chuckle. “I discovered this island myself and am currently using it as my own pirate utopia… They don’t call me the Pirate Queen for nothing.” She winked to Kara, who looked rather surprised.

Lena led Kara down a wooden ramp, onto the beach. There was a torch lit pathway that disappeared into the tropical forest. They went down the path for a while, Lena leading the way. Kara was silently looking around, taking it all in.

Her jaw dropped with the path eventually opened up into a large clearing, full of buildings. It was its own city, full of people- pirates, in fact. “Earlier you asked me why I was gone for so long?... I was busy building this kingdom… Just wait till we get to our capitol; then you’ll be impressed.” Lena glanced back to the former naval captain.

Kara was in visible awe, looking around the well populated town, but when her eyes landed on the flag of Captain Athena that hung on the side of a building, her face hardened. She seemed to remember where she was, twisting her wrists in their restraints. She wouldn’t give into the temptation of relaxing. She knew she wasn’t safe, even if she was still being kept alive at the moment.

Lena found that impressive, and for a split second she wondered if she could convince Kara that the pirates around her weren’t so bad, and that maybe- if it wasn’t for Lena’s plan –she could perhaps join them. The look of disgust on Kara’s face as she looked at all the free people, however, told Lena otherwise. Unfazed by this, Lena led Kara through the streets and to a small inn with a tavern as the ground floor.

The inn keep- a rugged looking woman with a bandana over her greying hair –looked up, eyes narrowing as she looked at Kara. When her gazed shifted over to Lena, however, she visibly held her tongue, quickly turning back to the glass she was shining.

Lena turned to one of her crew members that followed them inside. “Get us a table and some meals. Our new friend can have some bread and water.” Her subordinate nodded and went straight for the bar to order what was asked.

Lena took Kara to a room that had been acquired a few hours earlier. There was some spare clothing laid out on the bed, a luke-warm bath already drawn. Lena had cleaned up earlier, while Kara was still unresponsive in the brig of the Devil’s Heart.

“I trust you know better than to try and escape? You _are_ on a pirate island, after all,” Lena asked as she pulled a small dagger from a hidden sheath strapped to the small of her back. Kara simply huffed as her reply, thrusting her bound hands forward. Lena smirked and sliced the ropes off smoothly, putting her dagger back as she gestured toward the tub and clothing.

“Enjoy,” She said simply before going to sit in a wooden chair that had been placed in the corner of the room. Kara didn’t move, staring at her. After a moment, Lena quirked her eyebrow in question. “Are you seriously going to watch me?” 

The Pirate Queen openly laughed, throwing her head back as her chest and shoulders shook. “Oh, don’t flatter yourself darling. I’m here to make sure you don’t try and off yourself, not stare at you while you take a bath.”

Kara didn’t seem convinced, but as Lena showed no signs of leaving, she slowly started to strip out of her naval uniform. She laid it out gently on the bed, even though it was incredibly tattered and smothered in soot and blood. Lena wanted to comment that she was going to burn the clothing anyways, to try and tease Kara, but something kept her silent.

Kara eventually dipped a foot into the water before slowly stepping fully into the tub. Her back was facing Lena the entire time, so she couldn’t see all of Kara’s injuries. However, what Lena could see was rather rough. Her back was covered in scratches from debris hitting her, and multiple large bruises were scattered across her skin from being thrown around so much.

Even though the water was only slightly warm, Kara’s muscles visibly relaxed. It seemed to feel somewhat good on her sore muscles. She honestly was incredibly toned, and in any other situation Lena would probably find herself trying to mark every single muscle with her lipstick. She refrained, knowing her prisoner would be against such actions.

“So, Ms. Danvers,” Lena said suddenly, smirking when Kara twitched in surprise, “How long were you a captain?” Kara turned her head to look at her captor, frowning. Lena returned the look with a playfully innocent smile. “Why do you want to know?” Her voice was cold, which greatly amused Lena. The naval captain seemed to have a spark to her… Interesting. Lena loved a challenge.

The pirate captain gave a small shrug before answering. “We’re going to be together for a while, so I figured I might as well get to know you.” Kara’s eyebrows furrowed, displeased confusion in those beautiful blue eyes. “How long do you plan on holding me hostage?” Realizing that her death wasn’t anywhere close to the near future cause a slight look of fear to flash across her eyes that she couldn’t hide with stoic bravery.

“Well, considering you managed to do quite some damage to my fleet- which I applaud, by the way –we have to wait till all my ships are fully repaired. I also plan on buying three more ships and a crew to fill those ships; to replace the one you took down. So I would assume you’ll be stuck with us for many months.” Lena felt no pity in her heartless chest as she watched Kara’s face fall. She looked completely defeated, looking down into the cooling bath water as tears started to well up in her eyes. She was truly and utterly hopeless.

Something made Lena stand from her chair, slowly walking over to Kara. She knelt behind her, ignoring the way Kara visibly tensed. She started to take the little bit of hair still left of Kara’s old bun out of its tie. “You know… If you wanted to make your time with us a little easier… Maybe you could convince me to let you live. With favors, of course.”

Without warning Kara lashed out. She swung her right hand around to slap Lena, but the pirate caught her by the wrist. Anger welled inside of Lena, her eyes growing wild with fury. With her free hand she grabbed Kara by the back of the head, fingers twisting in her hair, and shoved her down under the water. Lena held her there only for a few seconds, lettering her flail and struggle before yanking her out of the water.

Kara gasped desperately for air, clawing onto the hand that held her head for dear life. “This situation could get much worse for you,” Lena snarled in her ear, “I recommend you never try that again.” Kara said nothing, simply panting for breath. Lena shoved her head away, scoffing at her now soaked jacket.

She stripped it off and tossed it to the side. Her anger started to subside slowly, looking back to Kara. “You ruin my entire life,” Kara said so quietly that Lena almost didn’t hear her, “You kill my entire crew- my friends –in front of me… You take me hostage, and tell me you’re going to kill me for your own sick revenge plot… And then you have the audacity to suggest I sleep with you?”

Kara’s eyes blazed with restrained fury, the ocean blue replaced with such an icy color that it sent a shiver down Lena’s spine. “I will _never_ help you… You heartless monster.” Kara’s teeth visibly ground together, powerful muscles twitching in her jaw as she snarled.

Lena stared at Kara in shock for a long moment. For a second she thought she almost felt fear strike though her. Quickly Lena fought to get her composure, her eyes turning cold and her face going blank as she inhaled deeply. “Hurry up and get dressed. We have a long road ahead of us.”

With that, Lena turned and left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! School's starting back up for me tomorrow (It's a late start, idk why), so that might slow down how much I can write, but we'll see.
> 
> Till next time :)  
> -Aries


	3. Playing With the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara learns more about Captain Athena's powers.

(Trigger Warning: Thoughts of suicide. Skip 2nd and 3rd paragraph.)

The door shut firmly behind Captain Athena, and for a moment Kara thought she was going to be able to contain her tears. That will power lasted a total of five seconds. Kara burst into sobs, huddling into herself as her entire body shook with each racking breath. The water rippled each time she inhaled, having grown cold by now.

She was hopeless, alone, and stuck. How in the world was she going to make it out of this? She wasn’t and Kara knew that. She was stuck with these pirates, being slowly dragged to her inevitable death. There was no avoiding what was going to eventually happen. Kara wondered if she really should push Captain Athena; get her mad enough to fully lose control and actually drown her, instead of teasing her with threats.

What if Kara just did it herself? There was a mirror, or even the window, that she could break to use as a weapon… No, the thought of ending her own life scared her more than the thought of living with these criminals. Kara was a coward, and she hated herself for it. It only made it worse that she knew that Captain Athena knew she didn’t have the guts to take her own life.

After another few minutes of crying herself into exhaustion, Kara finally got out of the cold bath water. She dried off with a towel and got changed into the clothing given to her. It was a simple white long sleeve shirt with a wide open collar, and some black pants and boots. Everything fit her oddly well. 

She took a look in the mirror and winced. There was a nasty gash just under her hairline on her temple, surrounded by a purple and blue bruise. Kara raked through her long blonde hair with her fingers, bitter at how soaking wet and messy it was. There wasn’t much she could do, however, so she left it down to dry.

Kara opened the door, pausing when she saw a man waiting outside for her. She recognized him from Athena’s crew, but didn’t know his name. “The captain says you can keep your hands free. You’ve already learned your lesson, apparently.” Kara could feel her resentment building up, but she pushed it back as much as she could.

“How thoughtful of her,” Kara replied sarcastically. The pirate sneered, but turned to lead the way back downstairs. The tavern was full of Athena’s crew, and was incredibly loud. They seemed to be celebrating- no doubt this was due to the death of the king.

Kara silently wondered how long it would take the main land to find out what happened. They probably assumed she was dead as well, considering The Oryx was gone, along with her entire crew. Kara felt a pang of grief shoot through her, and it took everything in Kara not to start crying again.

The pirate led Kara through the crowd and over to a table where Athena and some other crew members were sitting. Athena was drinking from a large tankard, and the men around her were messily devouring some stew and a communal tray of fruit. Athena’s cold green eyes- lined with oddly beautiful eyeliner –landed right on Kara.

Her lips curled into an equally as cold smile as she looked at Kara’s new outfit. “You almost look like one of us, Ms. Danvers,” Athena cheered. Kara clenched her jaw in annoyance- both at the sly insult and the name that Athena seemed to have decided to stick to, instead of calling her by her first name.

“I’d rather be back in my uniform,” Kara replied rudely. Athena chuckled, her eyes sparkling in sick amusement. “If you’d like, I can arrange for you to have no clothing at all.” The pirate captain narrowed her eyes, giving Kara a testing look to see if she had a sarcastic answer for her.

Kara visibly bit her tongue, glaring at her captor. Hatred was boiling inside of her, but she knew better than to push her luck; she was already on thin ice for trying to hit Athena earlier. After a long pause of glaring, Athena finally gestured towards the seat next to her. “Please, sit down.”

Kara grumpily flounced onto the chair, but moved as far away from the pirates as possible. The man sitting next to Athena glared at her like _she_ was the vermin. Kara glared right back, knowing to never back down. Athena didn’t seem to care about the stare down; she lazily waved her hand, summoning the bar keep who was now doubling as a waitress due to the overflow of customers.

“Get my pet here some bread and ale.” The barkeep nodded, but paused for a moment. “Would you like something to eat, captain?” Athena blankly shook her head, waving the woman away. She took a sip of her drink, but it was then that Kara noticed she actually wasn’t drinking anything.

Athena seemed to be picking up the stein and simply bringing it to her mouth. She inhaled deeply, letting a little drip past her lips before moving to set the drink down. Was she trying to avoid getting drunk? Ale wasn’t all that strong, as long as you didn’t drink too much of it. Was she trying to get used to it by only smelling it, and not actually drinking it? That didn’t seem likely; Athena was a pirate, and they were notorious for loving alcohol.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, but when she realized Athena was looking back at her, she quickly turned away. There were a lot of pirates glancing at her, most of them glaring, but a few were obviously curious. Kara noticed that there were about equal parts women as there were men.

It was odd to see female pirates- or sailors in general –considering it was so taboo to have a female aboard a ship. Even Kara had a hard time getting her crew to respect her at first… Although now it was no longer a problem, Kara thought bitterly to herself, considering they were all dead now.

The waitress came back with a medium roll of bread and a large tankard of ale for Kara, hurrying away when Athena dismissed her with a stern look. Kara stared at the bread for a moment, wondering how anyone could be hungry right now, after such a brutal battle.

Although one Kara thought about it, Athena only lost 1/4th of her crew compared to Kara losing all of hers, so it kind of made sense for them to still be in good spirits. “You should eat, Ms. Danvers,” Athena said casually, taking another fake sip of her ale.

Kara narrowed her eyes in a glared. “Why do you care so much? Do you want me to live, or do you want me to die? You should really make up your mind.” Suddenly the man who had escorted Kara- and had taken a seat next to Athena –stood up, his stool teetering backwards.

“How dare you speak to our captain like that!” He yelled, rage dripping from his words. He started to move around the back of Athena, towards Kara, his hand reaching for the sword at his side. Kara tensed up and started to get up as well, preparing for a fight.

“Callum,” Athena snapped in a cool tone, “Sit.” Her voice was loud and colder than death, dripping with authority. It caused the man- Callum –to visibly flinch, freezing in his tracks. He quickly moved to sit back down, looking like a pouting puppy.

“I’m not Ms. Danvers’ captain. She doesn’t know how to behave around me yet… I’ll let your tone go- just this once –Danvers.” Athena gave Kara a pointed look that made her spine shiver. Kara reluctantly nodded, turning back to her food. She slowly picked at the roll, eating little bits of it as she sipped her ale. The food wasn’t enough to satisfy, but it helped the hidden hunger in Kara’s stomach.

By the time she was done eating, a lot of the crew had left. It was rather late into the night, the moon high in the sky. Callum still sat next to Athena, occasionally having a small conversation with her. 

Athena seemed to be a quiet woman, simply observing the others in the tavern. Kara was silent, exhausted from a long day. Her temple was throbbing in dull pain, and her body was still sore from being thrown around in the battle.

Athena seemed to notice her captive starting to fade off, because without warning she sat her (still full) tankard down and stood. “Come, Ms. Danvers; I can show you back to our room.” Kara wanted to debate the ‘our’ part of that sentence, but figured she had already pushed her luck for the day.

She stood, ignoring Callum’s glare, and followed Athena back to the room she had taken a bath in. Her uniform was gone from the bed, another pang of grief rolling through Kara’s chest. “Shall we share the bed?” Athena asked in a sarcastic tone. Kara frowned at her before grabbing a blanket at the end of the bed, going to lay down on the thick throw rug by the fire cold place

Athena silently kicked her boots off and stripped out of her outer shirt, wearing a light, worn out top underneath. Kara closed her eyes and tried to will her exhausted mind to sleep, but it kept running in circles. Each time she closed her eyes, she could see Winn and her crew dying. The imagery made tears spring back into Kara’s eyes, so she decided to keep them open.

Athena was quiet from across the room, but every once and a while the sound of a page flipping could be heard. Kara figured she liked to read before bed, but after a few hours, she still didn’t go to sleep. Confused, Kara looked over to see why she was still awake.

Athena wasn’t paying attention to Kara, apparently, because she didn’t look up from the large book in her lap. Her loose black hair fell over one shoulder, arching in an oddly beautiful way that picked up the light just right.

Even with her face tilted downwards Kara could see she was completely relaxed. Emerald green eyes slowly scanned the pages, and her brow twitched ever so slightly with emotion. 

She seemed almost normal. Beautiful, even… Kara frowned at her, and was about to turn away when suddenly Athena looked up. Her eyes hardened, that relax look gone in the blink of an eye. “What?” She asked blankly.

“Why are you still reading?” Kara asked, unable to think of an excuse for her staring fast enough, “Shouldn’t you be getting some sleep?” Athena smirked, and for a moment Kara though she wasn’t going to answer her question. After a long pause, however, she placed a marker inside the book, closing it.

“I could ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer.” Of course Athena deflected the question. She had been doing that all day. Why did Kara even bother? The former captain sighed and rolled over onto her side, facing away from Athena. If she wasn’t going to answer her questions, then what was the point in trying to talk?

There was another moment of silence before Athena spoke from behind Kara. “What exactly do people say about me on the main land?” The question surprised Kara, causing her to look back at Athena over her shoulder. “What do you mean?” Kara raised an eyebrow.

“I know a lot of myths and stories have been passed around about who I am, and what I can do… What are the stories?” Athena set her book to the side, sitting up a little more in her bed. She closely crossed her legs, leaning her head on a hand that was perched against her bent knee. Kara also sat up, pushing her blanket off of her so she could mirror the sitting position, her legs crisscrossed.

“Uh… Well, a lot of people like to call you ‘The Queen of the Sea’ or ‘The Pirate Queen’.” Athena made a face that told Kara she already knew that. “Some also say you’re the daughter of the Devil, or the gods- which is the same thing if you ask me.”

Athena scoffed, smirking at the fact that some people called her the Devil’s daughter. “Do you believe them?” She gave a curious tilt of her head. Kara looked at her for a long moment. “If I tell you, will you tell me if any of the stories are true?” Despite her distain for the pirate captain, Kara had to admit she was very curious about her. She wanted to get to know the woman who was dragging her to her death.

Athena didn’t move or say anything for a long time, simply studying Kara. “Fine… Only because I like your bravery in asking such a thing.” Athena crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Kara to fulfil her end of the deal.

“When I first heard of you, I was a second mate in the Navy. I thought it was all a joke. ‘How can someone be so powerful?’ I thought. I figured it was just some scared, or perhaps even stupid, sailors making it all up. Then when I was tasked with hunting you after I became a captain, and learning about your supposed past, I started to think that maybe you really do have the favor of the gods.”

Kara paused, an emotion that Athena couldn’t make out crossing her face. “… When I fought you, however… Seeing how the water literally pulled us into your jaws… Now I really think you might be the Devil’s daughter.”

The room was silent for a long moment, the two captains simply staring at one another. Kara thought that Athena wasn’t going to fulfil her end of the deal for a second. However, she eventually spoke. “While I’m not the Devil’s daughter- although you seem to believe the gods and the Devil are synonymous –I am… Hm… How do I put this?”

Athena paused, looking down at her lap as she searched for the right words. “Well, I guess you could say that I am a god myself.” Athena’s sharp green eyes met Kara’s deep blue ones. 

Kara stared at Athena before giving a disappointed sigh. “Why did I think you were going to take this seriously?” Kara grabbed her blanket and laid back down, her back once again turned to Athena. The pirate captain gave an insulted gaffe. 

“Excuse me! I am many things, but a liar isn’t one of them.” Kara didn’t even bother to turn around. “I have no reason to believe that either. I know you’re not a good person; there’s no reason to pretend.” Kara couldn’t see Athena, but she could feel the aura of bristling annoyance rolling from her direction in waves.

There was the sound of blankets ruffling, which turned into Athena roughly putting on her boots. “Get up,” the captain said in an almost comically insulted tone. 

Kara looked up to see Athena strapping her sword onto her side. For a moment she thought Athena was going to take her outside and finally kill her. Fear shot through her, starting to shuffle away from the captain.

“I’m going to prove to you that I’m not lying. I’ll give you a taste of what I can do.” Athena kicked Kara’s boots over to her, crossing her arms as she waited for the naval captain to get dressed.

It only took Kara a few seconds to pull her boots on, tucking her shirt back into her trousers. Once she was ready, Athena led Kara out of the tavern and into the cool dawn air.

The sun wasn’t up just yet, but the moon was low in the sky. Kara had to walk quickly to keep up with Athena’s quick strides. “What are we doing out here? What do you mean you’re going to ‘give me a taste’?” Athena didn’t reply, continuing to walk down the jungle pathway that led to the beach.

Once on the sandy shore, moonlight shining brilliantly across the water, Athena took them a little ways down the beach. She stopped a few feet away from the rolling water, facing out towards the waves. Kara stood slightly adjacent to her captor, frowning in confusion.

Athena looked back at Kara, a mischievous look in her bright green eyes. The moonlight danced across her face, highlighting her full lips that pulled into a smirk. Harsh shadows were cast across her features, making them look considerably sharper; her broad jaw, long nose, strong brow, and enchanting eyes.

“Are you ready?” She looked excited, and for a moment Kara almost forgot her hatred for this woman.

She gently nodded, watching Athena turn back to the water. She lazily held out a hand to the sea, as if asking it for a dance, palm turned upwards while her fingers curved ever so slightly at the tips. Kara noticed how long and calloused her fingers were, unsure of why that caught her attention.

At first nothing happened with the ocean, but slowly the water started to boil and churn. The waves looked like they were reseeding from the beach, growing until the water level formed a tall wall. The top of the wall frothed, constantly rolling in place as it grew and grew.

Kara looked between the 100 foot wall of water and Athena. Moonlight shined through the wall, scattering across the beach in rays as small fish were illuminated. They swam casually around the tall wave of water as if nothing unusual was happening.

So _this_ was how Athena pulled the naval ships in during their battle. She controlled every aspect of the ocean and rivers. A thought suddenly came to Kara’s mind; the storm that pushed Kara and her fleet into unknown waters… Was that Athena setting a trap for any ship that passed by?

“Would you like to go for a walk?” The question snapped Kara out of her thoughts. She furrowed her eyebrows at Athena, frowning in slight confusion as to what she meant. “Okay?” Athena gave her a smile that almost looked real. She turned back to the wall of water, lazily twitching her fingers.

Straight away the water split right in front of the two captains. A pathway opened up before them, leading into the unknown. Athena dropped her hand, the wall still remaining. “After you,” Athena gestured for Kara to walk in front of her. 

Kara was in silent awe at how beautiful the pathway looked in the morning moon. She walked forward without hesitation, dawn the pathway that had once been underwater.

The two captains were silent for a long while as they walked. The water effortlessly opened before them as they went into the ocean. Kara paused to gasp at a large tiger shark that swam right along the edge. Of course she had seen one before, but never this close.

Athena quietly chuckled behind her. “I can do more than just play with water, you know.” Kara turned to look at her, confused. “Here, let’s go a little further out; there’s a small island of rocks we can climb on.” Kara continued to walk for a few more minutes before seeing that there was in fact a pile of volcanic boulders that would normally be hidden by the water.

It wasn’t hard to get up onto the porous rocks, Athena climbing up after Kara. The naval captain looked around at the fish swimming past the large wall of water that closely stood around them. The walls were much higher, considering they were now deep in the ocean, but Athena seemed to be holding them up effortlessly. 

Kara turned to the pirate captain, her eyes still shining with the awe she refused to voice. “So… You say you can do more than just splash around?” Kara asked, watching Athena smirk at the challenge. She looked out into the darkness of the ocean, visibly focusing.

Kara studied the waters around them, waiting for something to happen. For a moment nothing did happen, and Kara was about to tease Athena that she wasn’t as powerful as she thought; certainly not god-like. However, right as Kara opened her mouth, something caught her eye.

A massive black monster swam casually through the water; a sea monster that was unimaginable. Kara yelped in surprise, scrambling backwards. The heel of her boot caught on the ridge of the bolder, causing her to stumble backwards.

Kara felt herself start to fall backwards before being caught by a set of strong arms. “It’s okay,” Athena’s voice came behind Kara, “He won’t hurt you.” She spoke in an oddly gentle tone that made Kara turn her head awkwardly around to look at Athena. “Is he yours?”

Athena shook her head, slowly allowing Kara to stand back up. “No. He was just the first to reply to my general summons. I can call someone specific if I need to, however. If I bond with a creature, then they know to come when I ask… They’re constantly around me, waiting.”

Kara looked wide-eyed at the sea monster. He looked like a dragon with the body of an aquatic bird; wings tipped with clawed hands, and two large back legs that pushed powerfully with webbed feet. His skin was scales with cat-fish like whiskers. “What is he?” Kara’s voice was soft and quiet; like she was afraid to scare him off.

She turned to look at Athena, realizing with a start that she was looking at her instead of the creature. Athena’s green eyes quickly looked away, back to the creature. “He’s a type of sea dragon… Their ancient names were long forgotten, but through research I found out he’s called a Leviathan… Ironic, considering the name of your king’s ship.”

Kara frowned at the reminder of her failed mission. For a moment she had forgotten where she was, so focused on the woman in front of her and her powers. She tried to push the memory back, watching the Leviathan swirl around with a wise face. He was massive, probably the size of an entire ship with a head as big as a four-person carriage.

“How old is he?” Kara took a few careful steps towards the wall of water. The Leviathan paused in his swimming, moving like an eel with his wings drawn in. “Over two hundred years old.” Athena watched as Kara tentatively reached out, her fingertips gently breaking through the water in offering towards the massive creature.

Athena moved to step behind Kara, also reaching forward so her palm slid against the back of Kara’s hand, mirroring the gesture as she pressed their hands together. 

With Athena there, the Leviathan didn’t hesitate to come up to the water’s edge, pressing the front of his nose against Kara’s palm. She laughed in nervous amazement, her heart fluttering.

Kara gently moved her hand, petting the sea creature as she smiled. She looked back to Athena, her hatred once again forgotten. Her smile grew, and for a moment Athena genuinely returned the smile.

Kara paused to look at her, enraptured by how beautiful Athena looked with such a positive emotion in her eyes. She realized it was happiness and amusement. Her eyes were no longer a cold ice green, instead much darker and warmer emerald color.

Her teeth were perfect, shining in the moonlight past her crimson painted lips. Athena looked… Innocent. She was no longer the angry, evil captain that was full of hatred and blood lust. She was a young woman who was capable of being kind and loving.

The smile only held for half a heartbeat before it was gone; Kara found herself wishing it would return so she could look at it more. Instead, it was replaced by shock, then confusion, then blind anger. The kind woman was gone, replaced with Captain Athena; The Pirate Queen.

She seemed to remember who Kara was as well… Her prisoner. “That’s enough,” Athena growled, stepping away from Kara. “We have to get ready to head for the capitol.” When her hand had dropped the Leviathan flinched away, a low guttural hiss vibrating through the water as he turned away and left.

As he left, he seemed to take Kara’s hope with him, leaving her empty and alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the feedback and wonderful comments! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, as always. Next chapter will be much more action packed, and in Lena's POV.
> 
> Till next time!  
> -Aries


	4. The Voyage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena make their way to the capitol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to release this chapter a little early. We're back in Lena's POV, and there is some violence in here. Enjoy!
> 
> I've got so much homework to do ;-;  
> -Aries

_’What the hell was that?!’_ Lena thought. The fluttering feeling in her chest was already fading, replaced with fear over the unknown emotion. It was such a foreign feeling. Lena refused to admit that she actually liked whatever that warm flutter was.

She wanted to hate it; to shun it and never feel something that scary again. Lena knew that something was terribly wrong. She was starting to feel something other than anger and bitterness… What if that meant she was losing her powers?

Lena glanced back at where the Leviathan disappeared, only a massive shadow in the far distance.

Kara was leading the way back, their path still water free. If the water was still up, then Lena shouldn’t have to worry about her powers like her panicked mind thought. What if it was just some strange anomaly, and not a bad omen? It was probably just a fluke in her system.

The walk to the beach was faster, Kara obviously angry that they had to return to the inn. Lena couldn’t have cared less- or so she was telling herself –about how her captive felt. She was going with them to the capitol whether she wanted to or not.

She _was_ a prisoner for gods sake.

The walk was silent, and as soon as they returned to the inn Lena led them straight up to their room. “Try to sleep. We’ve got two hours till sun up,” Lena commanded with an extra cold tone. Kara frowned at her. “You’re not going to sleep?” Lena didn’t go back to the bed, instead moving to the chair in the corner in the room.

“I don’t need sleep. What I need is for you to stop asking questions and do as I say.” Lena huffed, kicking off her booths as she sat down. Kara looked angry as she walked over to the empty bed. “Yes, Captain,” she said with a fake salute before flouncing down onto her stomach at the end of the bed.

Lena watched Kara lazily kick off her boots before curling up into the fetal position. It didn’t look like the most comfortable way to lay, but Lena knew she wasn’t going to ever fully relax around her captor.

It took Kara while, but eventually Lena could hear her breathing slow into a quiet snore. Her face was relaxed, legs starting to stretch out ever so slightly. Lena stared at her, trying to figure out if there was anything special about Kara.

She was beautiful- even with the painful looking gash on her temple –and Lena could tell that she seemed to be a morally good person at heart; a stark contrast to Lena herself, who had done so much messed up stuff in her life that pretty much nothing bothered her.

Was Kara’s pure heart really enough to make her suddenly start feeling again? Lena knew that the split second of emotion she felt less than an hour ago- happiness –shouldn’t be so alarming, but… When you’ve felt no positive emotion for seven years it’s rather alarming.

Lena watched Kara sleep, trying to see if staring at her would make her feel something. Eventually the sun rose well over the horizon, shining through the windows. They cast enchanting dusty rays of light across the naval captain, softening her features.

There was a knock on the door, causing Lena to suddenly look away from Kara. Instead of letting the person at the door in, Lena slipped on her boots and went out to meet whoever knocked.

Callum stood in the hallway, looking stern and stoic. Lena tightly shut the door behind herself, giving him a pointed look. “Did you enjoy your early morning walk?” His tone was short and aggressive. Lena felt her own aggression flare as she narrowed her eyes at Callum.

“Is that any way to talk to your captain? Didn’t you bite our prisoners head off last night for speaking in the same exact way?” Lena raised her eyebrow. Callum visibly gritted his teeth. 

“I don’t understand why she’s still alive, ma’am.” He gestured towards the room, his anger fading slightly. “I thought you were paying attention; she’s here so I can take her to the queen, to show that bitch that she failed in trying to get rid of me.”

“Then cut off her head and send it to the queen! It’s not like you haven’t done that before with other assassins you’ve caught.” Callum started to raise his voice, but quickly dropped it when Lena gave him another look.

“Who are you to question my motives, Callum? I’m tired of letting Victoria think she’s getting close to stopping me- I’m going to show this woman what she finally did to me!” Lena gestured to her chest, referencing the thick scar on her chest, right over her heart. “If that means dragging this woman around until I get the chance to get to the queen then so be it.”

Callum tried to hold his tongue, but couldn’t. “I’m your first mate, Athena! Shouldn’t you be talking to me about these things? We used to be so close… I want to take down the queen just as badly as you, but I would never risk the islands security to do so. What if Victoria captures you and you can’t get back to us? All of this,” he gestured around himself, to the island, “Would go down with you.”

Reluctantly, Lena had to admit Callum was right. If she was somehow captured, the utopia she had spent years on would all go to waste. Her people would no longer have a safe space to stay, and power hungry pirates unfit to rule would be throwing oil onto the fire.

Lena relaxed her shoulders, realizing she had tensed up in her anger. She wanted nothing more than to kill Victoria for what she did to her, but the island was more important.

Still, however, Lena found herself reluctant to kill Kara right away. She could be useful in some way; although that way was still a mystery to Lena.

She gave Callum a stern, final look. “You don’t touch her unless I say so. We’ll use her for information against the queen or something.” Callum didn’t look content, but he nodded regardless. 

As Lena turned to back into the room he added, “The crew is ready to leave once you are.” Lena only gave a hum of acknowledgement before walking back into the inn room.

Kara was awake, sitting up in bed. Her hair was messy and she still looked incredibly tired. “What was that about?” Kara asked with a frown. Of course Lena didn’t answer her question. “You should fix your hair. You look like a toddler.”

She was still in a foul mood, her anger having not calmed down from her conversation with Callum. Kara sighed, rolling her eyes at the slight insult. She slid off the bed, pulling her boots back on.

Lena pulled her jacket back on, adjusting her sword and dagger under it. Kara, who had taken a moment to fix her hair, turned to Lena suddenly. “Was last night a dream?” She looked warily at Lena, trying to decide if she really was a goddess or not.

“Do you want it to be a dream?” Lena watched Kara pause for a moment, thinking. “It’s the only part of the past twenty-four hours that I hope wasn’t a dream…” The answer surprised Lena. She had expected a snarky or rude remark about Lena being a freak or something. Instead, Kara seemed interested.

“Come on… We have a long day ahead of us,” Lena huffed, turning and walking out of the room. Kara followed her out of the tavern, to a long parade of pirates. Everyone on Lena's four crews were packed and ready to make the long trek to the islands’ capitol.

Some people had horses while others had wagons or large back packs. Callum waited outside, holding three horses. He still gave Kara a foul look, but didn’t say anything to her. A muscle twitched in his jaw as he clenched his teeth in effort.

“A horse for each of us, as you asked, captain,” Callum said politely. Kara gave the horse a wary look, pursing her lips. “I trust you know how to ride,” Lena said as she grabbed two horses from Callum.

“I do,” Kara carefully took the reins offered to her, “but I’m much more comfortable on a ship than on horseback… At least I can control the ship.” Lena scoffed, but silently agreed as she smoothly lifted herself into the saddle on her black stallion. “Well considering you don’t have a ship anymore; I suggest you learn how to control a horse.”

There was a flash of pain that passed over Kara’s face. Lena was content that she didn’t feel any pity for the woman that meant the happiness she felt earlier that morning was a simple glitch in her system. She wasn’t losing her touch.

Callum also seemed content, giving an amused chuckle as he mounted his own steed. Kara silently struggled onto her horse, sitting very awkwardly in the saddle.

“Come on; the best way to learn is by actually doing it,” Lena said as she turned her stallion around, kicking him into a trot. She heard Callum easily ride up next to her, while Kara had a bit of a harder time getting her horse to start moving, clucking multiple times at it.

The trio went to the front of the traveling party, where Lena’s other generals- the men who helped sail the other ships on her fleet –were awaiting her. Lena led the entire caravan while her generals followed her. Kara was forced into the back of the small group, visibly struggling with her horse.

It took her about two hours before she was able to properly steer the mare, realizing that she didn’t have to correct every little movement. She relaxed her arms, finally taking some time to look around Lena had to admit that the former captain was a very fast learner.

Lena took the caravan deep into the tropical jungle. The weather was comfortable, if not a little humid. The further in land the group went, the less sandy and tropical the area was. The pathway started to become elevated and rocky.

Eventually they were in a temperate forest, huge trees surrounding them. Beautiful greens and yellows surrounded them, decorating the sprawling branches that Lena liked to pick from as she passed by on the wide pathway.

After almost five hours of riding Lena finally called for a break, seeing a small quarry in the clearing off the side of their path. The large caravan pulled off the road, Lena leading her stallion up to the water edge before dismounting.

Her legs were stiff and the back of her thighs felt raw. It was going to be a long three days. Lena stepped a little into the shallows of the lake, the water staying outside of her leather boots. She bent down to wet her hands, washing her face a little.

When she stood back up, she turned to see Kara clumsily sliding off of her mare. It was an amusing sight that made her smirk, giggling to herself. Kara had a very uncomfortable look on her face as she tried to rub some feeling back into her sore legs.

Exiting the water, Lena bypassed Callum to go speak to Kara. “I see you’ve already got the basics down.” Lena gently patted the mares flank. She took the reins and led her to the water to offer her a drink.

Kara stiffly walked behind her. “I learned at a young age how to pick things up quickly.” Lena raised her eyebrow, curious as to what she meant. She was just about to ask when Callum came up.

“Ma’am, someone needs your attention down the line.” He flashed a glare to Kara before walking away. Lena sighed before following Callum, gesturing for Kara to come alone.

The trio made it down a few hundred yards before Lena could hear the yelling. Her emerald green eyes narrowed as she picked up her pace, surpassing Callum to go over to the source of the noise. A small gathering off to the side caught her attention.

Moving closer to the loud voices, she realized it was a crowd cheering on a brawl.

Annoyance and impatience boiled through Lena’s blood. She easily pushed through the crowd, seeing two men grappling in the dirt. She recognized one of them from her crew on the Blue Jay. The other, however, was a stranger to her.

Lena had no patience for the squabbles of little boys, always making it clear that fighting would not be tolerated on her crew. She stepped into the ring of men- their goading dying off straight away –and kicked her man sharply in the ribs. He grunted in pain, rolling off the stranger.

The unknown man, not even paying attention to Lena, tried to use this to his advantage and get on top of Lena’s crew member. This only added oil to her burning anger, quickly blowing up into rage.

Lena reached down, grabbing the strap of a sword sheath on the man’s back, tossing him backwards as if he were a dog. The man fell into his back, attempting to scramble up. Lena put a boot onto his chest, leaning almost her full weight onto his sternum.

“What the _fuck_ do you think you two boys are doing?!” Lena demanded. Her man, who was trying to cease a bloody nose, spoke first. “Forgive me, ma’am, but he was trying to steal.” Lena looked from the bloody man to the stranger.

“Why in the hell were you trying to steal from my crew?” Her tone was ice cold, and she had half a mind to kill him right then and there. “The watch was mine to begin with-“ The stranger started before the bloody crew member interrupted him.

“I won that time piece fair and square in a game, you bastard!” There were multiple grunts of agreement from the crowd.

Lena turned back to the stranger. “So, you’re a thief and a sore loser… Who do you sail under, so I can send you back to them?” Lena finally removed her boot from the stranger’s chest, allowing him to stand.

“I sail under Captain Sean Smolders,” he growled bitterly. Lena didn’t recognize the name, about to accuse him of lying when suddenly Kara spoke up. “I was part of the fleet that took down The Flying Crow- Sean Smolders ship. He died in the battle, and the captured crew members escaped when they were being transported to prison.”

The stranger, angry that his captain’s killer was right in front of him, started to cuss at Kara. He called her ten different names that made even Lena blush before trying to lunge for her.

Lena stepped in the way, grabbing the man by the middle with one arm and throwing him backwards. He somehow managed to keep his balance, standing upright. In his fury, the stranger pulled his sword from its place on his back and swung it at Lena. She managed to dodge the slash by taking a wide step backwards.

That was the last straw.

In one swift movement Lena’s jacket was off. She grabbed her own saber and drew it just in time to block an overhead swing from the stranger. She heard Kara gasp behind her before she deflected the attack with a strong push, her blade sliding off the mans.

He didn’t hold his sword properly, holding it in his fist like a wet eel. Lena, however, gently held her with her index finger through the guard of the handle, gently pinching the hilt with her thumb and middle finger. She used it as a loose extension of her arm, following smoothly as she blocked, parried, and attacked.

Lena decided in her anger to have some fun with the man; she’d give him five chances to hit her. If he failed, she’d kill him. If he managed to wound her somehow, she’d simply disarm him in some way or another.

The man’s first real attack was a jab at Lena’s shoulder. She blocked the hit, stepping to the side. She didn’t attack back, waiting for the man to strike again.

The second and third hit came together in two side slashes. This caused Lena to take two steps back, not even picking up the tip of her sword. The stranger was cocky, thinking that this was an advantage.

The fourth attack was a long diagonal slash. Lena blocked it, the vibration going up the man’s sword and straight into his hand painfully. He flinched his arm back, instead striking out with a fist. Lena pushed the blow aside with her own free hand.

That was the last chance this man had of landing a hit.

Without warning Lena pushed forward, shoving her shoulder into the man’s side to knock him off balance. Again, he managed to stay up, but his arms were pin wheeling. 

Lena slashed out in a wide arch, the man a few feet away from her. He started to lean back, but not enough; the tip of Lena’s sword sliced through his chest creating a deep gash.

The man gasped in pain, hand jumping to the long wound. Lena took his shocked pause to strike again.

She spun her sword expertly, slashing into the man’s non-dominant bicep. He jerked his arm away, grunting in pain.

Lena’s third attack was a lunge, aiming to pierce through his heart.

The stranger managed to block the attack with the flat of his blade just in time. Lena’s sword sparked off of his, her momentum carrying the sword straight through his shoulder.

Lena didn’t even try to stop her velocity, plunging the blade farther and farther into his shoulder. She only stopped when the golden guard of her sword pushed flush against muscle.

The man was screaming at the top of his lungs, looking at the wound. He in too much pain and shock to even think to try and attack Lena, his sword dropping from his hand as he tried to grab at Lena’s saber.

Using his shock, she reached for the dagger on the small of her back. He noticed the movement, eyes going wide as he realized what was about to happen.

“No, wait!”

The blade of Lena’s dagger sliced almost completely through his neck, metal scraping against vertebra.

The man grabbled, blood bubbling past his lips. The warm liquid splattered across Lena’s face, but she didn’t even flinch.

He fell backwards, his body sliding off of Lena’s sword effortlessly. She stood there over the body, crimson liquid dripping thickly off both quivering blades in her hands.

The anger that was flowing through her was still strong. She wanted to kill more; to make someone pay for her anger.

However, Lena knew that there was no point. The one who did her wrong was dead, and it was no one else’s problem.

Finally, Lena started to move. She bent forward, wiping both blades on the body of the stranger. When she straightened she looked back to Kara, who was directly in back of her.

Her eyes were wide, looking from Lena to the body. “Your Navy should really work on keeping their prisoners in jail,” Lena said sarcastically, unable to keep the bite out of her tone. The bright blue eyes that Lena seemed so interested in glanced once again from the body to Lena.

She dared not make a comment, knowing Lena’s anger was not something to play with.

Lena put her blades away, flashing a scowl to the remaining bystanders. They all jolted to move away, leaving the body in the dirt. Lena walked past Callum and Kara, returning to her stallion by the water.

She wordlessly mounted the horse, not waiting for anyone else before moving to the front of the party to continuing leading their journey. Callum kept back, Kara returning to her place behind the generals.

Everyone was quiet for about three more hours, Lena’s anger slowly ebbing away into mild annoyance; although she was almost always annoyed about something, so that was nothing new.

Eventually Kara seemed to have the courage to kick her mare to go a little faster, trotting up to walk next to Lena.

The pirate captain glanced over to her prisoner and smirked at her riding techniques. “So, you learned how to go faster than a walk I see,” She said with a chuckle. Kara risked a small, amused smile, looking down to her mare. “I think we’ve come to an understanding.”

As Kara patted the horse, Lena could tell she was holding back a question. Lena sighed, glancing to her captive again. “Ask.” Kara looked confused for a moment, looking up from her mount. “What?” She tilted her head, eyebrows furrowed. “You’ve got something you want to know… So ask me before I change my mind.”

“…You’re very skilled with a sword.” Lena looked to Kara, raising her eyebrow. “How very observant of you, Ms. Danvers.” The slight annoyance on Kara’s face made Lena snort.

“You know what I mean… Why toy with that man? He obviously made you angry enough to kill him straight away.” Kara was messing with the mane of her horse, rolling it between her fingers anxiously.

Lena at first wanted to joke and say, ‘Oh, do you think I’m a terrible person for killing him?’ before remembering that she most definitely did. So instead Lena just shrugged.

Kara frowned, not looking satisfied with the lack of reply. Lena inhaled deeply, slowly letting it out before finally answering her question. “I know I have an unfair advantage in a fight; I’ve known how to use a sword since I was a young teenager… I thought it might be fun to give him a chance.”

The silence next to her made Lena look over, seeing a look of pain in ocean blue eyes. They glittered with tears; a mixture of sadness and anger. “So this is all a game to you… You killed Winn because you thought it’d be ‘fun’…”

For a moment Lena had no idea who Kara was talking about. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was referencing the brace man who tried to attack Lena, even though he was bound and outnumbered. 

“I don’t need to explain myself to you… You know that, right?” Lena raised a strict eyebrow, tilting her chin up as she looked to Kara. Rage filled her face, Kara’s tan skin flushing bright red.

In reality Lena didn’t really know how to explain her actions. She killed Winn because he worked for the woman she hated the most. She killed the stranger because he was attacking her crew and captive. She never really thought about _why_ she toyed with her victims. It was just amusing and self-fulfilling in the moment.

Kara looked straight ahead, her powerful jaw visibly clenching as she struggled to keep her anger in check. She mumbled something under her breath that Lena knew was supposed to be about her. “Care to speak up?” Lena snapped, not afraid to call her out.

“I said, ‘You really are a monster.’” Kara glared, throwing cation to the wind. Lena narrowed her eyes, feeling her own anger starting to bubble in her chest again. “Your crew and partner are dead, but if calling me names helps you get over this bullshit then go ahead. Just as long as you’re prepared to deal with the consequences.”

At first Lena thought Kara was going to be smart and hold her tongue. It was too much to hope for, apparently. “I’ll get over my dead crew as soon as you get over the queen ‘ruining your life’,” Kara spat, words dripping with venom.

The back of her hand swung out before Lena even thought of doing anything.

Her knuckles smacked Kara against the cheek and nose, emitting a sharp _crack_. Kara’s head jolted to the side, blood visibly starting to leak from her nose.

“Those are the consequences I warned you about, Ms. Danvers… Keep it up, and I’ll make your life much worse; you’re given food, water, and the freedom of your hands. I can take those privileges away whenever I want… You are my prisoner, not my traveling companion.” Lena watched as Kara reached for her nose, pressing against it to try and stop the flow of blood.

Even with most of her face blocked from view by her hand, Lena could see the hatred in her eyes as she straightened. Ocean blue turned an icy grey, practically glowing from the rays of sun shining onto her face as she held eye contact with Lena for a few moments.

Angrily, Kara pulled her mare back to where she had once been riding. Callum audibly snickered at the former naval captain, but when Lena gave him a deathly glare he quickly stopped, frowning.


	5. Mark of a Pirate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara meets a new 'friend' who helps her attempt an escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some readers have been wondering in the comments how Lena's going to get her redemption, but don't worry, I've got a plan starting to form. She's gotta be as bad as possible before she can start being good ;). I live for slow redemption archs.
> 
> Till next time!  
> -Aries

It took Kara’s nose a full half hour to fully stop bleeding. The front of her shirt was covered in blood, and her nose was sharply throbbing. It didn’t feel broken, luckily just bruised.

Kara glared angrily at the back of Athena’s head for a long time, trying to see if her raven hair would suddenly combust just by staring at it. Unfortunately, nothing happened, so Kara gave up. She returned to looking around the beautiful forest, trying to let her anger dissipate.

The group rode for what felt like way too long. The sun was starting to lower in the sky, and Kara’s legs felt almost numb. She was just about to get off her mare- whom she affectionately named Asher due to her grey coat –when someone rode up next to her.

A young woman with thick, snarled brown hair and mud caked clothing smiled softly to Kara. The naval captain realized that the women was actually chained to her saddle. “So, you’re Captain Athena’s new servant, huh?” She smiled bubbly as she spoke, as if that sentence was totally casual.

“Oh god, no. I hope it doesn’t come to that… Why? Are you her servant?” Kara looked to Athena, baffled. She honestly was a terrible person.

“No, actually. I serve under one of her second mate’s, Julien Hollis; he helps sail the Dauntist.” The woman gestured to a small, stocky man who had a brilliant mustache, but no hair on the top of his head. Kara furrowed her eyebrows, studying the man as he talked about something she couldn’t make out.

“Do all the second mates and the captain have slaves?” Kara asked, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She looked away from Julien Hollis, back to the dirty woman. She wasn’t wearing any shoes, Kara noticed.

“All but Captain Athena, and her first mate Callum.” The woman’s casual tone was off putting. Kara gave her an odd look, glancing again to the shackles around her wrists. “Oh, I’m Nia by the way.” She held out her filthy hand, chains lightly rattling.

Kara politely took the hand, gently shaking it. “Kara… So you’re a slave, not crew?” Kara had never heard of a pirate taking a personal servant. Most of the time the people they captured were either killed or forced to be one of the lower crew members.

“That’s right. I started working for Hollis when I was twelve, and I’ve been with him for about six years.” Kara quickly did the math, realizing with a jolt of shock that Nia was only eighteen years old. Kara thought she was at least twenty-seven, maybe even older.

“So what exactly do you do for Hollis?” Kara silently hoped it was nothing sexual. To start working like that as such a young age… Kara wasn’t sure if she could stop herself from murdering anyone who touched a child like that.

“I mostly wash his clothing, and clean his cabin. Sometimes he’ll have me serve his meals, or help the cook. I also fetch things while he’s working, or record meetings between him and the other second mates.” Nia twiddled with the reins in her hand, looking at the group of generals a few yards ahead of them.

They didn’t seem to hear the conversation behind them, Kara feeling safe to ask more questions. “Do you like it?” An idea popped up in Kara’s mind, silently wondering if the filthy woman next to her would be a safe person to bring this thought up to. Nia gave a small shrug before answering. “It’s hard work, and if I mess up Hollis can get a bit violent, but… It’s all I have and know.”

“Have you ever thought of leaving?” If Nia worked for Hollis, that mean she’s seen maps of this island before. Maybe she knew a way out?

Nia’s eyes went wide at the question, quickly shaking her head. “No, I would never! You don’t know what they do to deserters!” Kara frowned, that brief spark of hope already starting to fizzle out in her chest.

“I imagine they torture and killing them,” she offered her best guess. Nia shook her head. “No, worse; they brand you as a pirate, then send you out to sea on a raft. Whoever picks you up will see the brand and turn you into the Navy, letting them kill you instead.” Kara furrowed her eyebrows.

She thought of all the executions she had been to, wondering who many of those ‘pirates’ were actually innocent… Regardless, the thought of that fate was better than the one she was heading towards now.

“But you _do_ know how to get out of here, right?” Kara lowered her voice as she spoke so only they could hear what she was saying. Nia looked reluctant for a moment before ever so slightly nodding. “If we were to help each other get off this island, I promise I will forever be in your debt.” Nia looked down at her cuffs. She was silent for a long moment.

“Can I trust you?” She narrowed her eyes. Kara crossed her heart with a finger over her bloody shirt. “I swear on my father’s grave; you can trust me.” Kara stared at Nia as she visibly contemplated the gesture. Eventually, she gave the softest, “Okay.”

The hope that had almost completely burnt out of Kara’s chest roared back to life. She had a chance; she could get out! All she had to do was work with this woman she just met to get them away from this caravan of pirates.

They briefly talked about how they could leave, Nia pointing out that they’d have to do it at night while everyone was asleep. Kara hoped that Athena was still mad, and therefore would make Kara sleep far away from her.

“There’s a small wagon full of supplies. I know for a fact there’s a small fishing boat on there that one of the second mates brought along. We can use that to go down the nearby river,” Nia explained. She looked nervous, her brown eyes darting towards the group of generals every few seconds.

Kara felt confident, knowing that as long as they were quiet they could get a good distance away from the traveling party. Once they were gone, they could figure out how to get off the island. 

“Where do you usually sleep?” Kara asked quietly, knowing that the traveling party was rather big, and she’d have to search around for Nia. “I’ll be on a mat by the general’s tents. Hollis has a dyed red-“ The sound of Athena’s voice calling for everyone to pull off to the side of the path cut Nia’s sentence short.

For a brief fearful second Kara thought she heard the conversation, but then quickly realized they were pulling off into a lightly wooded area. She called for tents to be put up, the sun now low in the sky.

Everyone seemed to move at once, a group of pirates grabbing large tent rolls to lay out and put up. Kara stiffly slid off Asher as Nia was called away by Hollis. Athena didn’t even glance at Kara as she watched everyone run around to set up camp for the night.

Kara awkwardly stood around for a moment before someone threw a random pile of wood and sticks in her hand. “Be useful and go make a fire!” an unknown voice said in the crowd that surrounded her. Awkwardly Kara shuffled to a random grouping of tents that had yet to make their own fire.

It took a while, but she managed to get the fire started with the help of some borrowed flint and steel. It was small, but as Kara added dead leaves and more sticks to the flames they started to grow into a comfortable size.

Athena was still nowhere to be seen, but as Kara casually looked around she noticed a grouping of large, luxurious tents. One of them was crimson red, Kara quickly realizing that’s what Nia had been telling her before Athena had interrupted them.

She stood from her fire and strolled around the bustling crowd until she could get closer to the grouping of tents. She the back of Athena’s head dipping into the center tent, while Nia helped finish setting up the red one a few tents down.

Nia glanced over to her, giving her a brief nod in the direction of a cart packed full of items. Kara strolled over to the cart, seeing the small boat Nia was talking about. There were also large sacks of food such as fruit and vegetables.

Kara silently celebrated realizing they were perfectly set up to escape; they had a means to get away, and food to take with them! All they had to do was make sure not to alert Athena or any of the others.

Now, all Kara had to do was wait for the sun to go down.

**********

Kara looked around the dark camp grounds as she sat under a large tree. The moon was high in the sky, a lot of the pirates taking their sweet time going to sleep. Eventually, they all finally settled down while Kara was resting against the tree.

After glancing around herself once more, Kara stood from her tree a few hundred yards away from Athena’s tent. She carefully walked down the designated paths, around small tents and bundled up figures.

Nia hadn’t lied when she said she would be on a mat outside of Hollis’ tent. She was leaning against a sturdy support, staring at a large fire that roared in front of the semi-circle of tents. She looked up when she saw Kara’s figure appear out of the darkness.

“Ready?” Kara whispered, nervously glancing to Athena’s tent. Nia looked just as nervous as Kara felt, but she thankfully nodded to her question. Luckily Nia had only been bound with rope to the upright, so Kara was able to wriggle the knots free.

It took a few extra minutes, but finally Nia stood, following Kara as she moved towards the cart loaded with items.

The small boat was under a small pile of sacks, so Kara had to try her best to silently climb onto the cart and pull everything off of the canoe. Nia helped by taking the sacks and quietly lowering them to the ground.

It took multiple, stressful minutes, but eventually Kara was able to slowly pull the boat off of the cart. She silently pointed out a few bags to Nia that looked to be full of food. Kara flipped the boat upright, loading the middle of it up with food. 

The boat was too small to get any of the large sacks of food, unfortunately, but Kara was content with their multiple bags that they managed to fit. “Okay… Grab the front and lead, I’ll carry the back,” Kara whispered to her partner in crime.

Nia did as she was told, grabbing the loop of rope connected to the front of the canoe while Kara wrapped her arms around the bottom of the back side. It was awkward, but there was no other way to carry it.

It was incredibly difficult to walk silently with a boat in her arms, but Kara managed to keep her footsteps quiet. She walked heal to toe, watching her steps to avoid any sticks or gravel. Nia also walked carefully as she led the way, constantly glancing back to Kara.

The girls managed to make it to the edge of the group, Nia pausing to set the canoe down. Kara’s arms were already tired; in the past forty-eight hours she’d only gotten two hours of sleep. She hoped once they were on the river she could take some time to rest. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea? Once they notice the boat and you are gone they’ll stop at nothing to follow us.” Nia glanced nervously at the group behind them, wringing her dirty hands together. Kara grabbed her hands to comfort her.

“I promise you that the risk is worth the freedom. Being a slave for these pirates is no life, Nia. I’ll keep you safe, okay?” Kara’s blue eyes locked with Nia’s brown ones for a long moment. Her words seemed to comfort the younger woman, Nia nodding silently.

She grabbed the front of the canoe again, Kara hugging onto the back as she followed her guide. They weaved through the trees, moving away from the caravan and the path they had been traveling. Kara kept glancing behind them, somehow doubting that they were out of dangers sight.

Nia guided them deep into the woods, pausing a few times to slide the canoe down a steep hill. Kara could feel sweat starting to drip down the side of her face despite the cool night air. 

The boat seemed to get heavier and heavier each time she picked it up. It was hard to keep her energy up when she was running on a roll of bread and two hours of sleep.

Kara was just about to regret her decision of bringing the boat when suddenly she could hear the sound of water running. Nia seemed to hear it, too, pausing to listen. She looked back to Kara as they both confirmed it was in fact the sound of a river, a wide smile on her face.

With the telltale sign that they were almost free of their captors, they both pushed to hurry towards the noise. The woods broke away to a rocky beach, a wide river rolling across the pebbles. “Holy crap- I thought we were never going to find it!” Nia admitted, visibly shocked and ecstatic.

Kara let the canoe drop, walking to the water’s edge to dip her hands into the cool liquid. She washed her sweaty face and the back of her neck, her breath coming out in heavy puff. Nia did the same, happily kneeling in the water as she practically dunked her entire face into the river.

After a brief celebration, Kara called Nia back to the boat. “Help me push it into the river, then you can hop in.” Kara pulled from the front while Nia pushed, the boat sliding through the smooth stone shore easily.

Kara stumbled through the cool river until she could feel the boat floating, the waves reaching just below the tops of her boots. Nia hopped into the boat at Kara’s command, sitting at the front while Kara launched herself into the back.

The ores of the canoe had been strapped to the sides, so all Kara had to do was untie them and dip them into the water. She rowed them out just enough so that the current of the river took them down stream at a steady pace.

“Do you know where this river will take us?” Kara asked as she put the ores back into the boat. Nia was watching where they were going, squinting through the darkness. “If this is the river I think it is, then we’ll be put out right on the beach… We’re not going to row this into the sea, are we?”

Kara quickly shook her head, knowing for a fact that the rough waves would tear the small boat apart. “I figured we’ll have to try and look for some sort of boat or ship that Athena might have docked along the beach.” It was a small chance, but it was the best they had.

Nia didn’t think to second guess Kara’s idea, nodding as she turned back to the river. The moon was the only thing lighting their way, but it was enough light for Kara to see their surroundings.

The woods started to become a little rockier as the canoe took them through a small range of mountains. They sailed through a valley that became narrow as the mountains faded into steep hills.

The banks of the river were now close on either side of them- the river was maybe ten feet wide by now –dropping steeply into the water. Kara was glancing around when she noticed something.

There was a low drumming noise that could be heard quietly over the sound of the water. “Are we picking up speed?” Nia asked, but Kara was so focused on the drumming that she didn’t even realize Nia was speaking to her.

The drumming seemed to be just behind them, coming from the steep bank to their left. Kara turned to look back, eyes scanning the woods. “Okay, I swear we’re going faster… Kara?”

Kara was frozen, her eyes locked on the tiny golden glow of firelight. A torch; it was the light of a torch that she was looking at, and it was moving.

They had found them.

“Nia, grab an ore,” Kara scrambled for her own ore, dipping it into the water to start paddling. “Kara, no, wait! Look ahead of us!” Nia was pointing about a hundred yards ahead of them. Kara hadn’t noticed the noise of the water getting louder, but now that she was looking ahead of them it was a mirical that she didn’t.

The water dipped down in to angry rapids, massive boulders scattered through the frothing water. “We’re going to have to steer, Nia! They’re right on our tail.” Nia looked back, noticing the torch light that was approaching quickly.

Kara cussed under her breath as she started to paddle like mad, Nia grabbing her own ore to help Kara. If the speed of the rapids didn’t kill them, then it could seriously help them.

They managed to maneuver the boat around the first bolder that bisected the river, dipping down a tiny rush of water. The canoe creaked under Kara menacingly, but still held together.

The drumming sound behind them- which Kara now realized was the sound of horses galloping –was now right on top of them. She glanced back to see Callum and the four second mates with torches and weapons galloping along the bank.

They couldn’t jump into the water, but that didn’t stop them from aiming to shoot at Kara and Nia. Callum was the first to pull the trigger, but his shot hit the water way to the right of the boat. Kara ducked while Nia screamed in terror.

Kara tried to steer more from the back of the boat, but the current was too strong. They went down three large dips, rocks scraping the bottom of the boat as they fell down a steep drop. Kara clung into the sides of the boat for dear life, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

More shots rang out, but none of them seemed to hit the boat. They seemed to be toying with the girls as they yelled unintelligible gibberish at them, galloping alongside the boat at this point. Kara looked up to Nia, who’s eyes were wide with fear.

The boat scraped along a bolder, the wood splintering on the hull of the canoe. No water was leaking through, but the wood was bent at a terrible angle. “Nia, keep steering!” Kara yelled over the rapids as they dropped down multiple more water falls.

Nia was just about to start dipping her paddle back into the water when suddenly she gasped, looking ahead of them. Kara leaned to look at what she saw, her stomach dropping when she realized there was a ten foot drop ahead of them.

Kara tried to figure out how to steer to the opposite bank in time, but without Nia’s help her efforts were futile.

The front of the canoe dropped steeply, Kara and the back of the boat tipping up so high that the entire canoe flipped over. Both women and all the bags of food fell into the cold water, the canoe falling with them.

Kara was caught in the basin of the waterfall, the current spinning her head over heels. She was held under water for what felt like minutes, but in reality was maybe ten seconds. She was spat out a few feet away from the bottom of the waterfall, gasping for air as soon as she broke the surface.

Nia was multiple feet away, getting dragged off by the current. The men changing them were slowed down by the sudden change in elevation, breaking off into the woods to try and find a way down the ten-foot drop.

Kara quickly swam to Nia, who was screaming in fear as she dropped down another small rapid, clinging onto the flipped canoe for dear life. Kara managed to reach her, gripping onto the floating boat.

“Come on, we need to flip it!” Kara instructed Nia, yelling over the rushing water. Nia didn’t seem to be the strongest swimmer, her head bobbing up and down in the bubbling water as she struggled to try and lift the boat.

The current was too strong, and the water was too deep. If they wanted to flip the boat they’d need to take it to shore, but stopping wasn’t an option right now. Kara could hear Nia gasping for breath as she tried to stay above the surface.

Cussing under her breath, Kara moved over to instead help Nia get on top of the boat. She straddled the soaked wood like a horse while Kara quickly grabbed an ore floating right next to them. She handed the ore to Nia so she could use it to help pull Kara up onto the bottom of the boat with her.

Both women were panting heavily, Kara trying her best not to slip and rock the boat too much as they went down multiple more small rapids. By now the hunting group had found them again, running along the much less steep bank of the river.

Kara wracked her brain trying to think of how they were going to get out of this situation. She didn’t notice the flight or fight on Nia’s face, nor how she started to lift the ore to the up and back like a baseball bat.

“I’m sorry,” the sound of Nia’s voice made Kara turn to look at her, “But they’re after you, not me.” All Kara could do was gasp in surprise before Nia swung. She was kind enough to hit Kara with the flat of the ore instead of the edge, avoiding any broken bones.

Kara felt herself fall backwards, her ear ringing as she landed in the water. Her head throbbed in pain, eyes squeezed closed as her lungs involuntarily inhaled water. Kara swam to where she hoped the surface of the water was, her lungs screaming in pain.

Water burst from Kara’s mouth and lungs as she surfaced, coughing and spluttering. She blinked through her pain, struggling to keep her head up as she looked around. Nia was paddling away, already a hundred yards into the distance. She only paused to glance back, wild fear in her eyes.

The only option was for Kara to swim to the bank of the rapids, struggling to dodge large boulders that threatened to knock her out as she slammed into them. Her arms and legs burned with exhaustion as Kara managed to grab onto a fallen tree that’s branches dipped into the water.

The sound of horses skidding to a stop made Kara look up, seeing Callum appear over the edge of the bank. He looked down and saw Kara hanging from the tree branches, pointing his pistol at her. “If you don’t climb up that tree then I’m going to kill you.”

Kara raised her eyebrow, looking from Callum to his cocked gun. “Aren’t you going to kill me anyways?” She asked through labored breathing. Callum glared at Kara, a bitter look crossing his face.

“No… Athena says I’m to bring you back alive- unless you decide to be stubborn, then I’m allowed to kill you.” Kara could tell he was itching to pull the trigger. He hated her from the minute they met, and Kara knew why; she’d heard the conversation between Athena and him that morning.

The stubborn anger that filled Kara’s chest pushed her to start climbing up the tree. She wasn’t going to give Callum the satisfaction of killing her, even if it would be a better fate than going back to Athena. Callum looked disappointed as he watched Kara shimmy up the tree.

The other second mates grabbed Kara once she was close enough, roughly pulling her onto dry land. She landed on her stomach.

As soon as she started to get up someone sharply kicked her in the head.

**********

Kara didn’t even remember passing out from the kick. One moment she was on all fours facing the ground, the next she was tied to a tree while five men surrounded a camp fire in front of her.

Looking around, Kara could see that she wasn’t back at the pirate camp, but she wasn’t by the rapids either, unable to hear the rushing water. Her head seemed to be constantly throbbing by how many times is had been hit in the past two days, her cheek and temple painfully sore.

One of the second mates noticed Kara’s head lifting to look around, pausing in his laughter at a joke to point her out. The rest of the group turned, Callum’s face illuminated by the fire.

“Ah, you’re awake… That was a lot faster than I thought it was going to be.” He walked around the fire to kneel in front of Kara. “Where are we?” She frowned, looking around the forest.

Fear started to mix with the adrenaline that pumped through Kara as she realized maybe she should have just taken the bullet. Callum’s smile was menacing as he glanced back to his friends.

“That’s the least you need to be concerned with,” He answered simply before standing. At first Kara thought he was going to walk way, but instead he swung his foot out, striking Kara in the stomach. She coughed and sputtered as all the air in her lungs was forced out.

The pirates laughed as she gasped for air, tears of pain prickling against the corner of her eyes. “I don’t know what Athena sees in you… You’re just some lost little girl who’s in way over her head.” Callum punched Kara hard in the cheek, her head whipping to the side.

Blood started to pool against Kara’s tongue, her teeth having bit painfully into the flesh of her cheek. She looked up, spitting the blood straight into Callum’s face as he leaned down to sneer at her. “Say whatever speech you have rehearsed in your head then get this shit over with,” Kara growled.

Callum angrily wiped away the blood and spit, grinding his teeth for a moment before a sick smile pulled across his face. He rivaled the Cheshire cat with how wide his smile was. “Oh, no, I’m not going to kill you… I’m going to do something much worse.”

He stood and looked back to the fire that the rest of the pirates were standing around. Kara hadn’t noticed the metal poker sticking out of the flames until now. “I’m going to give you a nice big brand, and send you into the ocean to be picked up by your own people… Then you’ll get a taste of what’ it’s really like to be one of us.”

Kara stared in fear at the metal rod in the fire. She couldn’t see the brand on the end of it, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that told her she already knew what was there. The fire was so hot that almost the entire rod was burning cherry hot.

Callum grabbed a thick scarf from one of the second mates, wrapping his hand in the fabric as he picked up the hot poker. Lifting it from the fire Kara was now able to see what she had feared the most; A crude ‘P’ cut out of metal pieces glowed in the dark moonlight.

Instantly Kara started to struggle against her bindings, blue eyes locked in terror at the brand. At first she did her best not to cry and scream. As soon as the other pirates grabbed her, however, untying her and dragging Kara to a fallen log, she couldn’t help but scream at them to stop.

It took all four second mates to hold Kara down, grabbing her left wrist and holding it against the log, palm up, as Callum came over with the brand. “Stop! No, stop! Don’t do this! I thought you said you had orders to bring me back,” Kara yelled as she struggled against the weight of the men.

Callum’s Cheshire smile didn’t fade, blood lust in his eyes. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her… I’ll just say you ran so we shot you.” He chuckled, slowly starting to lower the P down towards Kara’s wrist.

She could feel the heat of the brand before it was anywhere near her skin, causing Kara to buck and fight more. She managed to knock on of the men off of her with an elbow to his face, but she was pinned down before she could do anything else.

Now tears were starting to roll down her cheeks as she watched in terror. The brand edge closer, blistering heat already burning against her skin without the red hot iron even touched her. Kara screamed louder and louder, her words jumbling together into nonsense.

She heard the brand sizzling against her skin before she felt it.

The smoke and smell of burning skin was almost enough to make Kara pass out. Then she could feel the pain.

To say it was excruciating was an understatement. Kara screamed in agony, her vision already starting to swim as the edges of her sight started to become fuzzy. She could hardly register that Callum was laughing as he pressed the sizzling brand further against the front of her wrist.

Kara honestly thought he wasn’t going to stop, wondering if her arm was going to burst into flames at any moment as she watched the skin start to bubble and char. She was just about to give up hope that the brand would ever be removed when suddenly a long slender hand wrapped around the still cherry red rod, yanking it off of Kara’s wrist.

All of the weight holding the naval captain down was released at once. Kara looked up, struggling past her blurry vision, to see that Captain Athena had ripped the brand out of Callum’s hand, tossing it into a random direction. Kara curled her hand into her chest, panting as she struggled away from the group.

Athena had never looked so angry. Her eyes were practically glowing in the low fire light and she glared at her first mate, teeth bared in a snarl. She didn’t even seem to care that her hand had been burned from the handle of the brand, her anger blocking the pain receptors.

“What in the _fuck_ are you doing?! I said not to touch her, Callum!” Athena gestured to Kara, her hands visibly shaking. Callum looked terrified, looking at the pure rage on his captains face. The sound of thunder clouds above could be heard, the wind picking up through the trees.

“L-Lena, I-“ Callum stuttered, stopping himself midway. His eyes widened, realizing his slip of the tongue. Kara had no idea who Lena was, or why Athena looked impossibly angrier at the name. All she knew was that she could feel the power emanating from the Pirate Queen.

Her burned hand shot out, pressing her index finger right between Callum’s eyes. “No, wait!” Callum begged, his words cutting off as he started making a choking noise in the back of his throat as Athena’s power literally vibrated through the air.

Callum’s eyes got wider as he dropped to a knee, a look of agonizing pain in his eyes. 

He was… Sweating?

No, leaking was a better word; Liquid seeped from his pours, tears rolling down his cheeks as Athena pushed her finger harder against her first mate, long painted fingernail digging into the skin. The water that was drawn out of Callum started to roll itself into a ball, surrounding Lena’s hand and wrist as she dried him out.

Once Athena was done, all that was left was a dry husk. Callum’s body fell sideways, his skin paper thin and his entire face sunken. His eyes had dissolved and his lips retracted away from his teeth. He looked like a mummified corpse, shriveled into the fetal position.

Kara had already had a hard time keeping her eyes open, her wrist still in searing pain from the brand. Her vision was fading due to exhaustion and agonizing pain as she leaned against a tree. She could hear the screams of the second mates around her, and the sound of water slicing through the air like a whip, but everything was so dark now that she could only recognize that everything around her was moving very fast.

There was the sound of blood splattering and bones crushing before finally everything was silent. Kara had just settled for closing her eyes, her head spinning so much that it made her nauseous.

The last thing Kara could make out before she finally passed out was the sound of Athena’s voice whispering, “You’re okay, Kara… I’ve got you… You’re safe.”


	6. Reaching the Capitol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's fate drastically changes, but she's unsure if it's better than being slowly dragged to her death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last 'pre-written' chapter I have, so now I'll be working on the story in real time. I've got some of the next chapter written out, but due to school and work it probably won't be done for another few days. I'm also taking a small break to write a cute one-shot, because I've got major writers block with this story.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!  
> -Aries

Kara was vaguely aware that she was moving. She could tell she was laying on her back, feeling something hard beneath her slowly moving. Kara’s hearing was muffled at first, slowly struggling to come back to reality one sense at a time.

Her eyes were closed, but she could see bright sunlight shining pink through her eyelids, the rays tingling warmly across her skin. As Kara’s hearing slowly started to make sense of the world, she realized the low rumbling she could hear was the noise of cart wheels turning.

Slowly opening her yes, Kara squinted through the bright afternoon sun to look around. She was laying on a large bundle of furs, traveling in the back of a cart. The sky above her was a bright blue that matched her eyes, tiny clouds speckled throughout the beautiful color.

Looking around more, Kara could see that there was an older gentleman with a hunch sitting just above her head, driving the cart. She must have made some sort of noise, because the man looked back to her with a curious glance. Seeing she was awake, he gave her a practically toothless smile.

“Ah, finally awake, I see… You must have been real tired; you’ve been asleep almost all morning.” His voice was wispy and slightly slurred, his wrinkled face wrinkling even more through his grin. 

Kara’s head was pounding- it seemed to be constantly doing that now and days –and her entire body felt like it had been tumbling inside a barrel full of rocks. Memories of the night before flooded her mind; The boat, the rapids, Nia leaving, Callum branding her… Athena saving her.

Kara wordlessly looked away from the man, wishing she could stare up at the sky for the rest of the day. She was so, so tired… Maybe she really should have just run from Callum, so he could have shot her and ended all this damn pain.

The old man had turned around in his seat, continuing to drive the bumpy cart through the narrow pathway. Kara had no idea where Athena was- or where she was on the line of travelers for that matter. Part of her felt obligated to get up and go find the pirate captain, but the other part was reluctant to move.

Kara noticed that she had been changed out of the clothing Athena had given her the day before; Now she was wearing a grey-green top that had short, rolled up sleeves and dark string tying up the low V-neck. 

Her pants had changed into dark grey canvas trousers, which seemed to be a little too long. To Kara’s relief her officer’s boots had been kept on her; they were tall black leather with a golden button on each outer bootstrap that had taken her months to properly mold to her feet.

A loud, high whistle sounded way up the line of the traveling party, a few other pirates echoing the call for those farther down. The old man sighed happily, pulling the cart off to the side of the road. “The captain must have stopped ahead; she’s probably found a good spot to water the horses and take a break.”

Kara sat up, mistakenly leaning her weight on her left hand. She hissed through her teeth, feeling an agonizing burning pain blossoming from her wrist. She lifted it up to see that about three inches of thick bandages were wrapped around where she had been branded.

Well, at least her brand wasn’t going to get infected or anything… Still, it was incredibly painful to even think about moving her left hand. Kara sighed, holding the injury close to her chest as she started to scoot off of the cart.

It became obvious that Kara has been put at the very end of the traveling party. She could see where the large group dissipated into a gravel path that disappeared into the trees. All around her were the old and the sick, multiple people huddled around in carts much like the one she was sitting on the back of.

Kara looked up the line, silently wondering how far up the head of the caravan was. She knew there were a ton of people traveling, and the path was rather narrow. Judging from the size of the camp she was sneaking around last night, it wouldn’t surprise her if the group was the size of a small army.

For a while Kara stayed at the back of the line, sitting on the back of the cart. Her long legs dangled off of the cart towards the trampled ground, staring at a random patch of pebbles that had been pushed into the mud. She was lost in thought, thinking about the night before.

“Ms. Danvers?” A voice asked a few feet next to Kara. She looked up, turning to the voice. A young man dressed in what could only be described as messenger clothing stood there awkwardly. He was very lanky, obviously still a teenager.

Kara nodded to the question, looking at his hands to see if he had some sort of parchment he was going to give to her. His hands were empty, instead reciting the message verbally. “Captain Athena requests that you meet her up at the front of the line… Now.”

Kara couldn’t help but bitterly think about how that wasn’t a request; it was a demand… Regardless, she sighed and agreed, thanking the messenger boy before hopping off of the cart. She grimaced, looking at the long line ahead of her.

Reluctantly Kara started her trek up to the front of the caravan. She passed multiple interesting looking groups, including a bunch of teenagers running around playing tag. At one point she noticed a group of rouged looking men telling a story to a handful of small children, wide smiles on their faces as they listened to the action-packed tales.

Despite Kara’s engrained idea that pirates were all blood thirty killers she couldn’t help but notice that most of these people looked… Normal. They were all families and friends, talking and bonding together like common people. The only thing that made them look different was the fact that they all seemed rather dirty and travel worn.

Kara continued to walk up the line, studying the pirates and free people until she started to recognize some of the wagons and people from the day before. She noticed the massive paint stallion that was Callum’s tied up to the back of a large wagon.

Memories of what happened to Athena’s first mate flooded Kara’s mind. Images of his dried up corpse flashed behind Kara’s eyes as she walked past the unsaddled horse. What had Athena done to Callum? He was obviously dead, but how in the world had she managed to do something like _that _?__

__The simple answer was that she used her powers to kill him. It looked as if she had taken all the sweat and tears from his body, but… It was more than just that; she managed to separate all the water in Callum’s body, drawing it out as if she was squeezing a sponge._ _

__Kara reached the front of the line, but there was no Athena to be seen. She glanced around, turning in a circle as she tried to find raven hair and pale skin. She noticed a few people breaking away from the group, strolling down a well-hidden pathway._ _

__Following her instincts, Kara followed the small group down the path, looking around the beautiful woods. The pathway opened up to a large clearing that had a massive lake in the center of it. Kara first noticed the mountains in the background, her eyebrows raising in awe._ _

__As Kara’s eyes trailed down to look at the lake, she noticed Athena’s black stallion- she had learned his name was Outlaw the day before, having heard Athena call his name a few times –drinking from the lake along with the four second mate’s horses._ _

__For a terrifying moment Kara thought that she was going to have to face them; to deal with their mockery at her maimed wrist and failed attempt at escaping. As Kara scanned across the scattered group of pirates, however, she couldn’t see them anywhere._ _

__That’s when she noticed Athena; her back was turned to Kara, raven hair loose and cascading down around her shoulders. She had changed into a black corset and starch white shirt that cut off at her shoulders. Her pants were high wasted and practically skin tight, her usual dazzling sword, matching dagger and high-heeled boots accessorizing the outfit._ _

__Kara ignored her attraction to the outfit. She rationalized it with her jealousy that someone could pull something like that off so well, while she was stuck in used, worn out pants and a shirt that was too big on her. She had to tuck in the tough material so that it didn’t hang halfway down her thighs._ _

__Athena seemed to be talking with a group of three women and a man, her hands gesturing slightly. Kara started to walk over, Athena’s strong voice becoming clearer. “… and I expect you to come to me with any major decisions when it comes to how to run each of my ships. I don’t care how you run the crews, just as long as they’re efficient and overall happy.”_ _

__Kara reached the group, shifting over a little so that Athena could notice her. Athena didn’t even bother glancing in her direction, continuing to talk with the group of four. They group also didn’t seem to notice or care about Kara, all of them focused on their captain._ _

__A small pang of annoyance and impatience ran through Kara as she frowned, glaring at the side of Athena’s face. She called her up here, yet couldn’t give her the decency to at least acknowledge her? Kara wasn’t used to being completely ignored like this; three days ago she was one of the most important people on a ship, but now she was nothing._ _

__Athena continued to drill the group in front of her. Kara slowly pieced together that these people were now her second mates… So who would be her new first mate? Maybe she had already spoken to them, and was catching this group up._ _

__Finally, Athena finished with, “And most importantly; do exactly as I say… I’m sure you all know what happened to your predecessors when they tried going behind my back and ignored my explicit directions.” Everyone nodded vigorously, a look of fear crossing their faces._ _

__“Good,” Athena gave a satisfied nod, “Then you may go… We’ll return to traveling in half an hour.” The second mates took their leave silently, one of them glancing at Kara before they turned and left. Athena finally turned to look at Kara, her lips pursed and her eyebrow twitching upwards._ _

__Wordlessly Athena turned and started to walk along the bank of the large lake at a steady pace. Kara furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head in confusion before suddenly realizing Athena meant for her to follow._ _

__Awkwardly stumbling forward, Kara hurried to catch up with the other captain, trying to ignore her sideways glance. Athena didn’t say anything for a long moment, leading them well away from the small number of pirates watering their horses and resting in the grass._ _

__She took them up towards the woods, walking a few yards into the trees before pausing to pick at some wild black berries. “How are you feeling?” Her voice was blank and monotone, eyes half lidded and bored looking as she scanned over the bush._ _

__Kara was taken aback by the question. She had assumed that Athena was taking her out here to scream at her- yell at her for trying to escape and getting hurt –not ask her if she was okay. If it wasn’t for her bland look Kara would have thought she actually cared._ _

__“I’ll be fine,” she answered simply, holding her wrist behind the small of her back as she adverted her gaze from the pirate captain. Again Athena was silent, obviously waiting for Kara to say something._ _

__“Why did you save me?”_ _

__It was a question that had been burning in the back of Kara’s mind ever since she had woken up. She very vividly remembers the sounds of Athena losing control before returning to help Kara with gentle words and soft hands._ _

__She wasn’t the Pirate Queen in that moment; she was… A completely different person. What was that name Callum had called her?... Kara couldn’t remember. He had been screaming and crying, turning the name into garbled noises._ _

__Athena turned to finally look at Kara, her bright green eyes searching her face for a brief moment. “Would you have preferred I let them continue?” Her perfectly manicured eyebrow arched high, full crimson lips pulling into a thin line._ _

__Kara didn’t want to admit that she would have preferred she just ended her life back on the Devil’s Heart when she had killed Winn. Instead Kara just gave a sigh that hinted at her annoyance. “You keep answering my questions with a question.” She gave Athena an unamused blink, frowning._ _

__They stared at one another for a brief moment before Athena’s pursed lips twitched up into a sly grin. “Fine,” she crossed her arms over her chest, “I helped you because I’ve changed my mind on what to do with you.”_ _

__For a heartbeat Kara’s chest fluttered with hope that what Athena meant she was letting her free. The hope quickly died, however, when Kara remembered that even if Athena did let her go she’d still be a dead woman walking; the brand on her wrist marked her as a criminal even if she was really innocent._ _

__Athena seemed to notice the hope that quickly fizzled out, her grin growing ever so slightly. Her green eyes twinkled with a knowing look, but her jaw remained clamped shut._ _

__“I don’t know what that means,” Kara replied, frowning. Athena got a mischievous look in her eyes that told Kara she wasn’t going to like what Athena had decided to do with her fate. “I’ve decided I won’t drag you to Victoria in an act of revenge… Instead I’ll make you my own personal servant; as a way for you to make up for the lost lives of my first and second mates.”_ _

__Anger boiled inside Kara as her wary looked turned into a glare. Her fists clenched, knuckles itching to strike Athena’s smug face. “I’m not the one who made you kill them; why should I be the one who pays for their lives?”_ _

__Athena gave a brief scoff, clearly amused by Kara’s anger. “I never said I was a making you pay for their lives-“_ _

__“-But you’re making me take the blame for something _you_ did.” Kara interrupted. She didn’t care if she was pushing it, too angry to keep her mouth shut._ _

__Athena bristled, green eyes flashing in repressed frustration. “I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you’d been as smart as I thought you were and just stayed put… But instead you had to steal a boat and food and run off with one of my crew.”_ _

__“Did you really expect me to stay put after you’ve been holding me hostage and hit me like a disobedient dog?!” Kara had raised her voice now, her yelling echoing through the trees._ _

__Suddenly Athena lurched forward, her slender fingers grabbing the baggy front of Kara’s shirt and yanking her close. For a moment Kara couldn’t help but notice that her previously burned hand seemed to be completely healed._ _

__Finally, realizing her situation, fear shot through Kara as she was forced to look into Athena’s blazing green eyes. She thought she might hurt her like she hurt Callum, or struck her like the day before._ _

__“That is exactly what I expected you to do- stay put like the good bitch I need you to be… What in the _fuck_ were you thinking when you decided to try and escape?! Did you seriously believe that you could commandeer one of my own ships and run out to sea with only yourself and one other little girl?”_ _

__Athena leaned in closer, her grip tightening. “How stupid can you be?” Suddenly she shoved Kara backwards. Kara fell, slipping on the slick leaves that carpeted the forest floor. She painfully landed on her hurt wrist, gasping in pain as she quickly lifted it to her chest. It burned almost as badly as when it was branded._ _

__Looking up, Kara could see Athena looking down at her with a cold look. Tears of mental and physical pain threatened to roll down Kara’s cheeks as she glared up at her, teeth bared. “Why can’t you just _kill me already_?!” Kara screamed, her emotional rage boiling over._ _

__Athena knelt down and roughly grabbed Kara by the jaw. Her black fingernails dug painfully into Kara’s cheeks, threatening to break the skin. “Because you’re _mine_ … And like it or not, I refuse to lose you to a group of jealous boys- or anyone else -who think they can steal one of my toys.”_ _

__Shoving Kara’s face away, Athena stood and wordlessly started to walk away. Kara had no idea what Athena meant by Kara being ‘hers’… Why was she suddenly so possessive? This deranged woman made absolutely no sense to her._ _

__“You’re a psychopath!” Kara yelled at Athena’s back. Athena turned her head, still walking, and smirked. “I prefer ‘creative’.”_ _

__**********_ _

__Kara rode just behind Athena and her group of generals. It was the morning of the third day of travel. Kara had been forced by Athena to sleep in her tent, laying on a straw mat in the corner while Athena read like usual._ _

__Just like the first day of travel, Kara’s legs and ass were incredibly sore from the leather saddle on Asher. At one point she just slid off of her mount and started walking next to her. She walked until eventually her feet started to hurt, so she got back into the saddle, trotting back up to rejoin Athena’s group. By now she was really starting to get the hang of riding, Asher seeming to empathize with her._ _

__From what Kara could tell they were starting to get closer to this capitol that Athena kept talking about. The caravan started to buzz with this aura of excitement, and Kara could tell that Athena was starting to urge Outlaw to go just a little bit faster._ _

__The excitement over getting to the capitol seemed to heighten Kara’s curiosity about what exactly this place would be like. Was it like the small village they stopped at three days ago? Or maybe it was going to be bigger, like an actual city. Where did Athena stay? Surely she wasn’t going to live in a tavern or some boring house._ _

__The further inland the caravan got, the more mountainous and cold it got. It wasn’t quiet snowing temperatures, but Kara found herself huddling closer to Asher when a strong breeze passed through the trees. The forest started to make way to massive moors filled with moss covered rocks and tiny creeks._ _

__The traveling company started to crest over a large hill that was essentially a mountain. Kara looked back as they started to reach the top, looking down at the extremely long line of travelers. Even though they were able to widen their trail, the caravan seemed to stretch over a mile._ _

__As Kara started to turn around, Athena and the group now cresting the hill, she gasped._ _

__Surrounded by mountains was probably one of the most beautiful cities she had ever seen. Massive, elegant houses made of stone and wood from nearby forests took up the entire valley. The city was so large it started to spread up towards a center mountain._ _

__Smoke from the larger buildings slowly billowed into the sky, creating a slight haze across the sight. There was a tall wall that surrounded the front half of the city that had the rolling hill; the only part that wasn’t protected by massive mountains._ _

__But that wasn’t the most impressive thing about the town; no, it was the fact that it had a _castle_._ _

__Even from ten miles away Kara could see the sheer scale of the building. There was a center tower with smaller towers and square buildings build off of and around it. The castle was very high up on the mountain- about halfway –as it towered over the city below._ _

__Kara noticed that there seemed to be scaffolding build around some parts of the castle, specifically the west wing. It looked like Athena was still in the middle of either building or renovating the ancient home. Regardless, it was beautiful despite being unfinished._ _

__Athena turned in her saddle, grabbing Kara’s attention. She was riding a few feet in front of her, but Kara could still see her wide smile and gleaming green eyes. “Welcome to National City.” She gestured towards the capitol, turning back to look at her pride and joy._ _

__Despite having been all over the world National City was probably one of the most beautiful settlements Kara had ever seen. She now completely understood the excitement she felt from all the other travelers. It was so easy to forget that this was a city built by the woman who has now enslaved Kara._ _

__The travelers continued down the hill and towards National City. It took them a little while to reach the massive gates of the wall, but they opened as soon as they saw Athena. There were citizens already inhabiting the town, so while Athena led the group through the cobble stone streets a crowd started to gather._ _

__Kara glanced around at all the smiling faces, everyone waving to Athena as she passed by like she was their queen- although now that Kara thought about it she realized Athena _was_ their queen. She both founded and ruled National City._ _

__The further they got, the more people started to dissipate from the traveling party. They seemed to be going to their families and homes, weary from three long days of travel, and however many weeks they’d been traveling the seas. Kara could tell that Athena was leading them through the city and to the massive castle that could be seen towering over the town._ _

__At one point the group of second mates started to split off until it was just Athena and Kara silently riding together in the front. Kara tried not to be too obvious as she looked around in awe, but at one point she knew Athena had caught her staring at a beautiful fountain with a marble statue of a mermaid._ _

__She said nothing, simply smirking as Kara quickly adverted her gaze, trying to act like she found the city repulsing. It was hard to hate something so beautiful, even if it was filled with rebels against the government she’d served for so long._ _

__As they started to walk up towards the castle- a small wall and stables build around it –Kara noted there were still quite a lot of people following Athena’s lead. She silently wondered if she had a court of advisors just like the royals she hated so much. But Kara was too stubborn to ask, so she just kept quiet as she glanced behind them every so often._ _

__They reached the stables, being met by a small group of stable hands, Athena got elegantly off of Outlaw. Kara slid off Asher, landing on sore legs. She couldn’t help but stretch, reaching high over her head and kicking both legs out in turn._ _

__Athena silently watched her, waiting for her to relax before silently gesturing for her to follow. Athena took them inside the castle, entering a massive hallway lit by countless torches and line with both a red carpet and paintings mounted across the walls._ _

__They walked through the winding halls, Kara already having gotten lost after the third turn. Athena didn’t seem bothered by the twists and turns, expertly leading them._ _

__“Where are we going?” Kara ventured to ask, glancing behind them to see that only a few people from the group seemed to be following along. “I’m going to say hello to an old friend,” Athena answered simply, not looking back to her servant._ _

__She approached two large double doors, shoving them open._ _

__The doors opened to a massive banquet hall. There were at least twenty tables, all of them filled with food and drink. The hall was already pretty much full of people, the party having started a while ago by the looks of it. Kara assumed this communal dinner was something they did every night, just like the dinner they had together at the tavern._ _

__As soon as the feasters noticed Athena a roar of cheers erupted through the hall. It was so loud that Kara had to physically pause, completely overwhelmed by all the noise. Athena didn’t seem too bothered, simply smiling to everyone and giving each side of the room a nod._ _

__There was a large table set in the front of the banquet hall, filled with a small handful of people who looked oddly important. One of them was a woman with short auburn hair and a dazzling smile. She was sitting to the right of the center chair, holding up a chalice of wine._ _

__“Athena! It’s so good to have you back! How was your test run back on the open waters?” The woman set her drink down, standing to walk around the table. She approached Athena with open arms, hugging her tight. Athena chuckled low in her chest, hugging her supposed friend back._ _

__“It was very eventful; we both lost and gain quite a lot… Did you get my falcon?” Athena pulled away from the hug, not even glancing back to Kara who watched the interaction in confusion. The woman’s face dropped slightly, although her sadness didn’t seem genuine. “I heard about Callum and the others… Mutiny seemed so below them. I guess you really can’t put anything past a person.”_ _

__Finally, the woman seemed to notice Kara. Her large brown eyes filled with curiosity. “Is this one of the ‘gains’ you mentioned?” Athena turned to look at Kara, a smirk pulling at her painted lips. “Yes, she is… Sam, this is Kara Danvers; former captain of The Oryx.”_ _

__Sam’s eyes flickered with interest, a curious smile pulling at her lips. “That’s very interesting… And why is she here? Normally you don’t take prisoners.” Sam turned to look back at Athena. “You’re right, I don’t; but through a long story that I don’t have energy to tell, she’s here as my own personal servant.”_ _

__Kara clenched her jaw, hating that she was being talked at like she wasn’t even there. Her hatred only grew as the term ‘servant’. It was only a few days ago how she was thinking her situation couldn’t get any worse._ _

__Athena noticed her annoyance, snorting through her nose. Her amused green eyes turned to Sam, who was watching Kara with that same curious look. “Let’s sit and catch up. Sit with us, Sweetheart… You’ve been good today, so you can eat whatever you’d like,” Athena mused._ _

__At first Kara didn’t realize that ‘sweetheart’ was referring to her. She clenched her jaw at the demeaning nickname, preferring ‘Ms. Danvers’ over something like that. But she knew that if she even showed any sort of dislike towards the name Athena was going to double down on it._ _

__The trio walked to the front table, Athena taking her spot at the center while Sam sat to her right. Kara had no choice but to sit at her left, uncomfortably glancing around. No one was really interested in talking to her, everyone sitting in their own groups with their own conversations._ _

__At first Kara refused to eat, feeling reluctant to give into Athena’s sick form of praise. Eventually her stomach started to gnaw on itself painfully, so Kara gave in and started to gather some small things from the food set around the table._ _

__Sam and Athena were talking avidly, Athena once again doing that weird thing where she sniffed her drink but didn’t actually drink it. Come to think of it, Kara had never seen Athena eat either… Did she eat in private, or was it part of her powers? Nothing about her seemed human anymore; not even her unnaturally beautiful face._ _

__For the rest of the evening they sat there at the banquet hall. It got a little busier with some of the new travelers, but eventually it started to dissipate. Kara remained uncomfortably silent, just watching the interactions of the people around her._ _

__It felt like forever before Sam finally left the table for the night. She said a fond goodbye to Athena before turning to Kara. “I’ll see you around, Danvers.” Kara was so caught off guard by the fact that Sam actually acknowledged her that all she could think to do was nod._ _

__After Sam left Athena stared around the hall for a while. She swirled her glass of wine absentmindedly, eyes unfocused in thought. At first Kara was going to keep her mouth shut as she awkwardly sat there next to her, but the fact that she had been cradling the same drink all night was starting to bother her._ _

__Kara turned to Athena, speaking over the crowd. “Why don’t you just drink it?” Her voice came out a little more accusing than she meant, but Athena seemed to let the tone slide as she blinked out of her thoughts. She sat up straight, giving a confused look at the drink in her hand._ _

__“Does it bother you that I’m not drinking my wine?” Kara sighed in annoyance, slowly blinking as she frowned at Athena. She had a very annoying habit of answering a question with a question, and it was starting to seriously get on Kara’s nerves._ _

__Athena chuckled, obviously having done that in purpose. She moved to set the wine down on the table in front of her and moved to fully face Kara. “I haven’t been able to drink anything for a very long time,” She answered simply._ _

__That only led to more confusion. Kara furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at the cup. “Why?” She asked, voice still raised over the loud conversation around them. Athena paused, glancing at the banquet hall before moving to stand._ _

__“Follow me,” She said simply gesturing to a back door that Kara hadn’t noticed before. They left the hall, stepping into the eerily silent hallway. Athena took them down multiple more halls and stairways before they finally reached where Athena wanted to be._ _

__She pushed open an intricate wooden door that led to a beautiful balcony. There was a cold wind that blew Kara’s hair around, but it wasn’t very loud. The balcony faced National City, which was lit up by torches far below._ _

__Kara stared down at the beautiful city for a moment, her breath still being taken away by how amazing it looked. Athena silently watched her for a moment before going to lean on the banister that walled off the edge of the balcony. “I’ve decided that- with your change in fate –I’ll let you ask some questions about me.”_ _

__“Did you just now decide that?” Kara asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. To her shock Athena actually gave a small, amused smile. “Maybe… Ask whatever you want, and I’ll answer whatever I want to answer.”_ _

__“Why can’t you eat or drink?” Kara decided to take the deal straight away, her morbid curiosity taking over. Athena’s amusement seemed to grow at her captive’s easy acceptance, shifting her weight on her elbows._ _

__“It’s part of the curse that was put on me years ago… I get immeasurable powers, but I no longer get hungry nor thirsty, and I don’t ever need to sleep.” She spoke casually, eyes scanning across her city._ _

__“What happens if you do eat or drink?” Kara asked, tilting her head. “I get sick and throw it all up again… I like to just kind of smell my wine and other drinks to remember how they used to taste,” Athena answered with a slight shrug of her mouth._ _

__“Are you undead?” Kara didn’t turn away, eyes focused on her expressions._ _

__“I don’t know, honestly.”_ _

__“Who cursed you?”_ _

__Athena turned to look at Kara, her green eyes shining in the bright moonlight. “Have you really not figured that out?”_ _

__“Stop doing that.” Kara frowned, narrowing her eyes, referring to Athena’s obnoxious habit of deterring the question._ _

__After a long sigh Athena finally answered. “Victoria… She was a ‘special’ friend that turned against me.”_ _

__“Do you know why?”_ _

__“… No.”_ _

__Kara couldn’t tell if it was a lie or not, but she knew Athena wouldn’t explain any more, so she moved on._ _

__“How long ago was the curse put on you?”_ _

__“You know it’s rude to ask a lady her age,” Athena smirked, amused at Kara’s annoyed nose flare._ _

__“Fine, I’ll switch topics then; how did you find the island?” Kara looked back down at National City twinkling below them._ _

__Athena followed her gaze. “Me and Victoria found it long ago. I came back after my curse to make it my home, and a home for others.”_ _

__Kara paused to think of another question. “Would you ever let me go?”_ _

__Athena openly laughed, looking back to Kara. She had a ‘what do you think?’ look on her face as she chuckled._ _

__“I mean around the island… Will you let me have at least that freedom?” Kara frowned, trying to ignore her anger at being laughed at._ _

__She noticed Athena glance down at her bandaged wrist, making her frown more. “Maybe one day… Once I know that Navy blood is out of your system.”_ _

__“Are you trying to make me a pirate?”_ _

__“No, I’m just trying to show you that a monarchy free life isn’t wrong.”_ _

__“Aren’t you running a monarchy?” Kara raised an eyebrow, glancing at the castle._ _

__“I’m running a democracy. The people tell me what they want, and a group of me and my trusted representatives will make a decision together.” Athena seemed insulted at the mere suggestion that she was anything like the government she hates so much._ _

__Kara had so many more questions, but Athena seemed to be getting tired of the Q &A. “Last question and then we’re done, so make it a good one.” There were so many ‘good’ questions in her mind that it was nearly impossible to choose. Kara decided to blurt the first one that came to mind._ _

__“Athena’s not your real name.”_ _

__The pirate captain raised an eyebrow. “That’s not a question.”_ _

__“What’s your real name?”_ _

__Athena stared at her for a long moment. As usual Kara thought she was just going to ignore the question, or ask her to ask a different one. However, she suddenly took a deep inhale of the cold air, holding eye contact with Kara._ _

__“You’ve already heard it,” she reasoned. “What I heard was a man begging for his life… There was no way I could discern a name from that mess.” Kara crossed her arms, already knowing that Athena wasn’t going to give up her name so easily._ _

__Her assumption had been right as she watched Athena push off of the banister. “Think about it long and hard… Tell me when you’ve got a guess and I’ll let you know if it’s right.” She started to walk back into the castle, Kara silently following._ _

__She tried not to picture Callum dying as she ran through all the gibberish he had been yelling. Kara followed Athena on auto pilot, staring down at the ground as she filtered through the damaging memory._ _

__Slowly Kara started to piece together the words. He had stuttered her name, but it started with… ‘L’… There was something funny about the name, like it rhymed with something about the captain. She started to go through a bunch of rhyming words that started with ‘L’, but none of them were making sense._ _

__Athena suddenly stopped, Kara almost running in to her. She seemed amused, noticing that Kara had been thinking long and hard about her name. “Any guesses yet?” She smirked, green eyes moving all around Kara’s face as she waited for an answer._ _

__Nothing was coming to Kara’s mind. She had no idea what Athena’s real name was, unable to figure out what Callum had been crying about. “… Leanna?” She guessed. Athena laughed again, sounding genuinely amused. “Nice one, but no… This is your room, by the way.”_ _

__Kara had only just then realized they were stopped by a simple wooden door. Athena pushed open the simple door to show an equally simple room. It was a decent size with a bed, vanity, and private dressing area. Kara stepped into the room, glancing around._ _

__Turning back to the door, Kara saw Athena leaning against the frame, watching her. “I’ll be expecting you tomorrow… Meet me at the stables an hour after sunrise.” Kara wanted to point out that she had no idea where the stables were anymore- she didn’t even know where she was right now –but Athena was already moving to close the door._ _

__“Wait!” Kara suddenly called out. Athena paused, moving to step back into the doorway. She hummed in acknowledgement, raising an eyebrow. Kara’s brain had never stopped running through possible names, so she decided to give one last guess._ _

__“…Lena?”_ _

__The woman in front of her visibly flinched at the name. Her jaw tilted upwards, eyebrows furrowing only for a moment before pulling low. Her mouth pursed, full lips pulling into a thin line. Kara could see her clench her jaw, unreadable emotion swimming through her green eyes._ _

__“If you tell anyone that, I’ll make sure you never leave this room again,” Athena- Lena –commanded. She seemed oddly angry at the sound of her old name. “Can I call you that?... In private?” Kara had no idea why she was pushing her luck, other than the fact that she thought the name ‘Lena’ was oddly beautiful. Even for a blood thirsty pirate like Athena._ _

__Lena narrowed her eyes, stepping out of the doorway and grabbing the door._ _

__“No.”_ _

__The door slammed close._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more Evil Lena (TM) chapter before she starts her upward battle towards a redemption arch :D  
> At least she let Kara ask some more questions, even if she didn't answer all of them?
> 
> Have a good week everyone, I hope to post this next chapter sooner than later  
> -Aries


	7. Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara learns all about National City and the castle above, becoming fast friends with Sam as she explains some of Lena's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken me so long to write, I've been dealing with some really bad writers block. I had to rewrite like three different parts of this chapter because it didn't flow well at all.  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy- this chapter is extra long, as a thank you for patiently waiting.
> 
> Have a good valentines day, everyone!  
> -Aries

Kara wandered around the halls, completely lost. She was well aware that she was late, despite having woken up in time to meet Lena down at the stables. She thought she could feel her way through the castle back down to the stables, but that turned out to be false.

For over an hour now Kara meandered, trying to find something she recognized, or even a person she could ask. The only person she did see was a member of Lena’s crew, who openly laughed in Kara’s face when she asked for help finding the stables. It only put her in a worse mood.

Everything looked the exact same- save for the paintings and occasional statues that were too spread around to memorize –and the more Kara walked the deeper into the depths of the castle she got. Kara could feel her panic starting to rise, realizing that the longer she made Lena wait the angrier the Pirate Queen would get.

Finally, Kara was able to find a window in what looked like a guest bedroom, but when she looked out it she couldn’t see the stables. She must have been on the wrong side of the building, to her dismay. The sun was steadily rising into the sky, mocking Kara for her lateness.

She was just about to give up all hope and just try to find her way to an area she could hunker down in hopes that Lena would never find her when finally, she saw a familiar face.

Sam was walking down the corridor, speaking to a man who had papers waving around in his hands. They were speaking passionately about something, but when Sam spotted Kara and her pleading face she stopped talking.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Athena?” Sam asked, tilting her head. She walked closer to Kara, stopping a few feet in front of her. “I got lost,” Kara admitted, blushing deeply, “and no one’s been around to help me.”

Sam hummed in a mixture of amusement and understanding. “It’s a big castle with not very many people to live inside of it… Here, I’ll take you down to her; do you know where she should be?” Kara explained that she was supposed to meet her at the stables an hour and a half ago.

Leading the way, Sam took Kara down a set of stairs that had been hidden behind a large tapestry. Kara was bemused, looking around the dark, narrow staircase with a puzzled look. Sam glanced back, smiling at her confusion.

“When you don’t have a lot to do on the slower days, you tend to wander around and find what secrets the previous owners put in the castle. This just happened to be one of them; a former servants passage that leads to all the main areas.” Sam spoke casually, veering off into an open hallway again.

They made it outside, Kara trying to hint that she could find her way to Lena by thanking Sam multiple times. Sam didn’t leave, instead taking her all the way to the stables. Kara anxiously frowned, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt as she noticed Lena waiting outside.

Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun, gloved hands holding a small pocket book. She was leaning casually against the barn door frame, a foot propped up against the wood casually. Despite the fact that see seemed to be reading, Lena looked annoyed.

She looked up at the sound of people walking towards her, emerald green eyes locking onto Kara. She dropped her foot and closed the book with a sharp _snap_. “I thought I said an hour after sunrise, not almost two.” Lena ignored Sam, only paying attention to Kara.

“She got lost, Athena. Give the girl some slack, it’s her first day,” Sam offered her help. Kara would have given her a grateful look had she not been afraid of looking away from Lena’s stern look. “Is that true?” Lena asked, eyebrow quirking.

Kara quickly nodded, feeling as if she should be standing at attention under Lena’s scrutinizing gaze. For a moment she thought she was going to continue to give her more shit about being late, but eventually her narrowed eyes returned to their full shape.

Lena sighed and shrugged, seemingly having decided to drop the issue. “Fine, then I’ll just have to show you around the castle, too,” Lena said more to herself than Sam and Kara. She thanked Sam, gesturing for Kara to follow her as she turned back towards the stables.

Sam smiled to Kara, winking her good-luck before she left the two alone. Kara silently wished that Sam might have stuck around; to help lessen the time Kara had to spend with her ‘master’. Regardless, there was no use standing around and annoying Lena even more.

She had disappeared into the stables, Kara following her into the building. The stables weren’t huge, but it could still fit up to 20 horses down its long aisle. There were multiple tack rooms that seemed to break off down short hallways, all of them full of riding gear and tools to clean the horses.

Lena walked almost all the way down the line before she reached Outlaws stable. Right next to him was Asher, who was nibbling on some hay from her hanging bag. Kara glanced at Lena, confused as to why they were here. Were they going to be riding today? Her legs were still sore from the three-day ride here.

“Do you know how to saddle your own horse?” Lena asked casually, her long pale fingers stroking Outlaws black face subconsciously. Kara pursed her lips at the question, glancing to Asher who was now watching her while chewing her hay.

“Uh, well… No. Any time I’ve needed to ride a horse as a kid they would already be saddled,” Kara admitted, bashfully looking away from Lena’s slightly amused gaze. “Were you rich growing up?” Lena chuckled, Outlaw tossing his head slightly under her hand.

Kara’s face started to heat up in a blush, because she was in fact well off as a child. Her father had worked as a doctor, and her mother is a very respected scientist working at a college for all women. Still, she didn’t want to admit that to Lena. “Why? Do you think money made me stupid?”

When Lena turned to look back to Kara, there was mirth in her eyes, a playful smile spreading across her full lips. “No, I was just the same way when I was younger.” Her reply only made Kara even more confused. What did she mean by that? Was she well off herself as a child? Kara had always assumed she was poor and thus became a pirate.

“But anyways, let me show you how to saddle a horse. I’ll start on Outlaw, and you can try it out on-… What did you name your mare? Ash?... No- Asher! You can try it out on Asher.” Lena turned, walking into one of the tack rooms.

She came out a few minutes later with her worn wine-colored leather saddle and other riding items. Kara watched her, still curious what she meant about her childhood. Lena set the saddle down on a saw horse before grabbing a rope halter that hung right next to Outlaw’s stable.

“What do you mean you were the same way as a kid? Were you also rich?” Kara ventured to ask, her curiosity burning in her chest. Lena paused as she was just about to explain how to put the rope halter on, looking back at Kara. She didn’t look annoyed or angry to Kara’s relief.

“… If I answer your question, will you pay attention to what I’m trying to teach you?” She turned to fully look at Kara, who was nodding before she even knew what she was nodding to. Lena softly sighed, moving to set the halter back down.

Kara watched her, trying to ignore the excitement buzzing through her. She didn’t know why she was so excited to learn something new about Lena, other than her natural curiosity was always constantly begging to be satisfied about such a mysterious woman.

“To answer your question; No, I wasn’t well off… My mother was a maid, and I lived with her while she worked for some very important royal diplomats,” Lena explained, leaning back against Outlaws stable, “I got very close to the lady of the house, so she decided to give me some riding lessons for fun.”

Lena turned to where Outlaw stuck his head out, waiting for his halter to be put on patiently. “I thought I knew how to ride just because I had been on a horse, but in reality I knew nothing about them. It wasn’t until many, many years ago that I _actually_ learned how to take care of and ride a horse.”

That was an even better answer than Kara could have imagined. She looked at Lena, surprised by the story. It was oddly humanizing knowing that she was the daughter of a maid.

Kara blinked down to the ground, realizing she had been staring at Lena in her surprise. “Do you think I’m lying?” Lena hummed, amused at the way Kara adverted her eyes. “A little bit, yeah,” she admitted, Lena scoffing in front of her.

“I suppose your mistrust is warranted… But anyways, we had a deal; I answer your question, you learn how to take care of a horse,” Lena moved to pick up the halter. Kara moved a little closer to see what Lena was doing as she brought the halter up to Outlaws long face.

For the rest of the morning Lena explained how to not only equipped a horse, but she also showed how to feed them, bathe them, and clean their hooves. “We have a farrier that comes in every few weeks to take care of their hooves and metals shoes, so I won’t go into that detail.”

Something that was even more surprising about Lena was how good of a teacher she was. She explained everything slowly and in a way that Kara could understand. By the end of the lesson Kara was confident that she could at least saddle her horse. 

She tried to ignore that this was another humanizing factor to the terrible Captain Athena. Not only did she just learn about her past, but she learned that Lena could be a patient person- at least for the moment –and had the skill to teach.

“Alright,” Lena said as she brushed some dirt from her palms, “Time for you to saddle Asher. I’ll be right here if you have any questions.” She moved over to where Outlaw was tied up a few feet away, leaning against the wall to watch.

Kara nervously grabbed the rope halter next to Asher’s stall, calling her to come forward almost politely. Asher stared at her with deep black eyes for a moment, seemingly trying to decide if she wanted to come forward or not.

“Here, make this noise-“ Lena made a clucking sound with her tongue and the roof of her mouth. Kara felt awkward at first, having never made that noise before. It took a few tries to get it right, but eventually she was able to click her tongue and Asher moved forward to stick her head over the stall door.

Kara tried to ignore the excitement that her horse just came to her call, refusing to look over to Lena for validation. Still, in the corner of her eye she could see Lena grinning in silent pride.

After pulling the rope halter onto Asher’s face, Kara grabbed a lead rope and took her out of the stall. She guided her to the designated ‘saddling area’ of the stables, which was just two ropes on either side of the wall that you could clip to the horse’s halter so they couldn’t just walk away.

After brushing Asher down, Kara started to gather all of the equipment Lena had taught her about. She had recognized the saddle she had been riding in for three days, so she grabbed that one; it had a black skirt and fender, with a light brown seat.

It took Kara much longer to put Asher’s saddle on compared to when Lena did it with Outlaw, but eventually she got it on. Lena came over to double check her work, but gave a satisfied nod seeing that it was on tight enough and in the right area of Asher’s back.

“You’re a very quick learner, have I told you that?” Lena praised with a smile. Kara felt herself become reluctant to accept the praise, unsure if she should be happy that someone like _Lena_ was complimenting her.

So instead, she simply answered with a, “You did once, in a way.” She had mentioned Kara’s learning abilities to her at the very start of their journey to National City. Although it had felt sarcastic to her, like she was making fun of Kara instead of actually complimenting her.

It bothered Kara even more that Lena sounded genuine this time.

“Oh, I guess I did… You said that you learned to pick things up quickly. Why?” Lena moved to go grab Outlaw who was patiently waiting, his mouth moving around on the bit. “I grew up in a competitive house hold,” Kara answered simply as she grabbed Asher’s reins to follow Lena.

“Do you have siblings?” Lena asked as Kara passed her with Asher, taking them outside into the stable court yard. “Only one,” Kara answered simply, not wanting to give away too much about her family. For all she knew Lena might try and find them.

Sensing Kara’s reluctance to share anymore, Lena let the subject go with a vaguely disappointed frown. She lifted herself onto Outlaw, Kara doing the same on Asher. “So what are we doing, anyways?” Kara adjusted herself in the saddle a little.

“I’m taking you around town so you’re a little more familiar with your surroundings,” Lena said as she gently kicked Outlaw into a walk. Kara moved right up next to Lena, visibly confused. “Why?” Not many captors would willingly show their captives around town.

Lena turned slightly in her saddle to look at Kara, the leather creaking. “You ask a lot of questions. Why don’t you just sit back and relax? It’s a beautiful town; you’ll see.” Kara pursed her lips, sighing softly as she looked ahead.

Every time she thought she was getting to know who Lena was she always did something that changed her mind. First Kara thought she was a made up myth by scared pirates. Then she thought Lena was a ruthless, heartless monster that liked to torture people.

Now, however, she was starting to think that Lena was just someone who- although her morals were questionable –lived to protect her people. She very obviously treasured National City. She must’ve been serious last night when she told Kara that she was trying to get her to see that her world wasn’t nearly as bad as Kara thought.

The two women rode out of the castle walls, down the long pathway that took them to the actual city. Kara silently looked around. She’d seen all this last night, although it was much easier to look around when there weren’t a ton of people walking with them.

The entire city had very well pathed cobblestone paths, and the streets were wide enough to fit at least three lanes of traffic. There were quite a number of people walking around, a few of them stopping to wave to Lena happily.

Kara glanced into some of the buildings as they rode past them, noticing that they seemed to be shops. There was a tailor, a cobbler, a general store, and even an apothecary. Kara hadn’t exactly been expecting for there to be such well established businesses.

She’s always pictured pirate towns to be full of thievery and shady dealings. None of these people looked to be criminals at all. Much like what she noticed with the travel party, they all seemed like normal towns people.

A cart strolled past Kara’s right side holding a man, his wife, and two little girls. As they rolled past one of the little girls greeted Kara happily, handing her a beautiful yellow-orange flower. Kara had been so surprised by the offer that she took it without question.

She looked down at the beautiful gift, unable to hide the smile that pulled at her lips. She gave the little girl a wave before the cart turned down a different street. In the corner of her eyes she could see Lena watching her, her usual amused grin spreading across her face.

Kara tucked the flower into one of the small bags attached to her saddle, making sure it wouldn’t fall out. As she moved to look forward again, Lena started to explain where they were, and how there were different sections of the town that held different things.

For example, they were in the Business District; It consisted of multiple blocks, all full of businesses just like the ones Kara was looking at earlier.

The Business District led into the Market District where people would sell fresh foods and ingredients. There were also a few taverns, restaurants, and inns situated there. The third and final district was the Housing District which was where all the citizens lived.

“My second mates have their own houses there, along with a majority of my crew. Only a few handfuls people actually _live_ in the castle. It’s mostly hired workers to keep the place clean and cook the meals for the feasts every night,” Lena explained casually.

Questions bubbled in Kara’s mind as they strolled into a large market place that was bustling with people. There were small colorful flags that were hung up from building to building, hanging over the market.

“How many people live in National City?” Kara asked, wondering if the huge city was actually full of people, or if it was mostly empty. Lena thought for a moment before giving a small shrug. “Over a thousand? I’m not sure, I haven’t counted in a long time.”

“Are there other small towns like the one your ship is in?” Was it just these two areas that Lena had urbanized? She’d only been gone for a year and a half, there was no way she could have built so much in such a short amount of time.

Lena shook her head. “We’ve got ten smaller towns and three large cities scattered around the island. National City is the largest, which is why I made it the capitol.” She spoke as if it was completely normal to have fourteen free settlements under her control. Not even the Queen that Kara served had that many.

She couldn’t help the impressed look that crossed her face. How many people lived in each settlement? How big were the other cities? Did Lena visit all of them, or did she have people like Sam who helped her stay in control? Kara had so many questions that were bouncing around her brain.

“And you built all of this yourself? In only a year and a half?” Kara quirked her eyebrow, looking to Lena. “I’ve been working on this island for much longer than that. My disappearance was because I wanted to focus on the island and not the sea for a while.

“But no, I didn’t build this all myself. There’d been settlers before us that abandoned most of the cities and towns long before I found the island. That’s why the castle is being worked on,” Lena gestured towards the castle that could be seen towering over the city.

“We’ve only built a small handful of towns from the ground up, but they’re further North and West.” That made much more sense. Even out where Kara was from it had taken the original founders of the cities years to even start building. It’d be much easier if there was already a base to build upon.

Lena continued to take Kara through the Market District, circling back around to the Housing District. There were standalone houses, apartments, and even smaller town houses that spanned half the city. It took the two women the longest amount of time to ride through this part of town.

Kara looked around at the stone, wood, and a plaster-like material covered houses. They were very comfortable looking with wide glass panes and small box gardens. It was a very clean area, Kara questioning Lena on the sewer system and how other parts of the city worked.

Lena answered her questions easily, seemingly not hiding anything. For once she was being open, talking about the guard post lay-outs and how they always had a patrol guarding the city wall. Kara questioned why they needed guards if there were no competing kingdoms around.

“Just in case someone from the main land finds the island and decides to attack, or if one crew has made enemies with another crew. There’d been an attack before. The fighting lasted three days, and it was a mirical the town wasn’t destroyed,” Lena explained, frowning at the memory.

Kara looked over at the walls, eyes scanning the stones as she tried to imagine what they’d look like toppled down and on fire. Lena continued talking next to her, “Let’s head back to the castle; we can get you something to eat and then I’ll show you the important areas so you don’t get lost again.”

There was an amused tone to Lena’s voice that made Kara look back to her, pursing her lips. She wanted to complain about how confusing the halls were, but she knew that’d only make Lena tease her more. Instead she settled for just nodding in agreement.

The ride back to the castle didn’t take a super long time, but as soon as Kara slid off of Asher as they reached the stables she could feel how stiff her legs were. She followed Lena and Outlaw into the stables, watching Lena unsaddle Outlaw before repeating the steps on Asher.

Once the horses were back in their stables, Lena took Kara back to the looming castle. They went back to the dining hall that they had gone to the night before. There weren’t many people inside, all of them eating their food and quietly talking to those around them.

Lena went straight for the front dining table, sitting in the center ‘throne’ with a flounce. Kara sat down a little more awkwardly, glancing over to the pirate captain. “So you’re… Just going to watch me eat?” Kara raised an eyebrow.

“No? Why would I watch you?” Lena mirrored the quirked eyebrow before she reached into her jacket and pulled out the same pocket book she’d been reading earlier that morning. It seemed to be some sort of fiction, but there wasn’t much to go on after the cover.

Kara turned away, grabbing at the rolls and fruit that had been already set out. Lena let her silently eat as she read her book, shifting occasionally in her chair. The only time Lena glanced up was when someone said hello to her as they passed by the table.

As Kara nibbled on her simple meal she looked around the room, kind of bored by the silence. She sighed, sitting back in her seat as she popped a grape into her mouth. “So do you just ride around on Outlaw all day, or do you actually do queenly things?”

Lena looked up from her book, turning slightly in her seat towards Kara. “I’m normally overseeing things like the castle renovations, trade supplies, and listening to the towns people complain… Although spending all day by myself sounds kind of nice.”

“I assume you’ll be forcing me to follow you around all day while you work, then?” Kara thought back on what Nia had told her when they first met; the second mates had their servants do simple things like clean up after them and record keep their meetings.

Lena gave a small shrug, leaning her chin on a propped fist. “For now, I think so… I haven’t really thought about it.” Kara’s nose flared in irritation as she struggled to not glare at the woman next to her. “Why are you keeping me around if you don’t even know what you want me to do?”

The usual mischievous smile that Lena seemed to default to pulled at her lips, her eyes noticing the annoyance on Kara’s face as they darted all around her features. “Because I want to keep you close to me… And this, so far, is the best way to do so.”

Kara had to look away, her blue eyes blazing with anger. Lena’s selfishness made her want to scream; She was being kept captive on a strange island surrounded by pirates because a powerful pirate captain found her fun to play with?! 

To say that was unfair was an understatement.

A tense silence fell between the two women as Kara refused to look back at her captor. Lena watched her for a moment before sighing for some unknown reason. “Well anyways… Are you done eating?” Kara glanced down at her empty plate before nodding.

Standing, Lena gestured for Kara to follow her. Kara stood and followed her as they strolled out of the banquet hall. The dull drone of conversations cut off as soon as the heavy oak door closed shut.

Lena guided Kara around the castle much like she took her around National City. She was quiet for the most part, pointing out certain hallways and ‘landmarks’ to help Kara figure out where she was.

At one point Lena pointed out a set of massive doors that were closed. They were solid wood with metal detailing twisted around the edges. “This hallway leads to the West Wing, which is currently off limits.” Lena turned and noticed Kara’s questioning look as she stared at the doors.

“It’s the wing currently being worked on. The only people allowed in there are me and the builders.” Lena explained simply before turning and moving on. Kara quickly followed her, glancing at the closed off wing one last time before looking forward again.

They went upstairs, downstairs, and upstairs again. The castle didn’t seem to have set floors, the rooms shifting high and low constantly. Kara silently questioned who the heck designed such a building, her knees already complaining about all the elevation changes.

After Lena took Kara through almost the entire castle, she took them up a grand flight up stairs that spiraled up a massive tower in the East Wing of the castle. They went up multiple floors, pausing for Lena to point out hallways that broke off of the landings of the staircase before she continued onwards.

The stairs led to a set of short double doors with brilliant gold handles and two silver griffons posted guard on either side. Kara noticed that there were dripping hearts painted on the chest of each griffon, seemingly having been added by Lena or one of her crew.

Lena pushed open both sets of doors with a flourish, walking a few steps into the room before stepping to the side so Kara could look around. The room was massive, with an open archway directly across from the doors that led to a large balcony, and tall paned windows every few feet along all the walls.

Staring around the beautiful room in awe, Kara noticed that one half- the right half when you faced the balcony –was a sort of office with countless bookshelves that even led up to a second floor mezzanine. The shelves were massive, matching the large desk that sat in the center of the ‘library’. 

The other half seemed to be a bedroom, with a massive four poster bed, an adjoining bathing area, and multiple chests of clothing positioned closely to one of the most beautiful dressing tables Kara had ever seen; a large oval mirror decorated with ruby and cold roses around the edge. There were even matching rose handles attached to each drawer that led down the sides of the table.

“Is this all yours?” Kara asked, finally pulling her eyes away from the crimson and black comforter that had painstaking gold lace embroidery all along it. “It is; I spend most of my time here when I’m not dealing with meetings or traveling.” Lena looked around the room with Kara, as if it was her first time seeing it as well.

Kara couldn’t help but start to walk around. The room was very beautiful, with expensive decorations. If anything the room didn’t look lived in; everything was too perfectly placed, clearly untouched.

Moving over to the library-office, Kara started to look around at all of the books. Those were probably the only things that looked to be moved around on a regular basis. There were some books that sat regularly, with their spines straight up and down.

However, there were other books that were slanted at the end of rows, or piled up at the edges of the shelves. Kara even noticed that there were some books that were just slid on top of other vertical books as if the reader couldn’t have been bothered to remember where it went, or to push the other books to the side.

“You really enjoy reading, don’t you?” Kara asked offhandedly, dragging her fingertips across some of the spines in the rows. She looked up at the second story, wondering how many of the books had actually been read, and how many were for show.

Lena was standing a few yards away from Kara, watching her look around in awe. “They’re a good way to pass the time.” It was such an innocent answer with a much darker undertone; Her curse didn’t allow her to sleep, so instead she read… How exhausting was that? Did she ever get tired, or was she at a constant level of energy?

Turning back around to face Lena, Kara’s eyes glanced over to the bed. If she didn’t sleep, then why was it there? It- like the rest of the room –didn’t look touched. “Why the bed?” Kara decided to ask, her usual curiosity taking over.

Looking back at the bed as if she was still making sure it was there, Lena shrugged before turning her head towards Kara. A smirk pulled at her full crimson lips as a glimmer of mischief sparkled in her eyes. “Want me to show you why?”

At first Kara couldn’t figure out what she meant by that, but in a flash of flustered embarrassment her cheeks turned bright red. “No!” Kara turned on the heels of her boots and started to walk towards the spiral staircase that led up to the second story balcony that held the other half of the library.

Lena chuckled below her as Kara basically ran away, obviously afraid that her captor would try showing her anyways. Kara took the stairs two at a time before reaching the much taller bookshelves along the wall.

Silently continuing to read the names of the books, Kara listened to Lena shuffling around down below her. Sneaking a peak, she saw that Lena had sat at her large mahogany desk, leaning back in her throne-like chair to rest her boots on the corner of the desk.

She was reading some sort of parchment, obviously satisfied to leave Kara to her own devices. It didn’t bother her in the least bit, happy to finally be left alone; Kara had started to get used to the feeling of piercing green eyes on her wherever she went, which wasn’t a good sign.

Although she had to admit she was incredibly lonely. Her conversations always turned bitter with Lena, so it was hard to find a desire to talk to her. But Lena was the only person she was really around. Everyone else was just a passing face that ignored Kara all together.

The only person who actually acknowledged her was Sam, but she seemed to be even busier than Lena… It was difficult to make friend when the only person you’re around is a woman you hate.

Kara sighed to herself, casually looking around with a bored gaze before she found an interesting book with a dark green cover and an inky black title that had been worn from years of touch. She glanced it over, seeing that it was a romantic story between two forbidden lovers.

With nothing better to do, Kara looked for a place to nestle down and read; Luckily there were cushy leathers chairs situated at the very end of the mezzanine, allowing for Kara to sit comfortably. 

She relaxed in the wide bow of the seat, sitting with her legs draped across one of the arms. Kara was briefly aware that Lena had looked up at her at one point, studying her for a moment before looking back down at her papers quietly.

And so they sat like that; Kara, ignoring her reality by delving deep into another world. Lena, working on reading through requests and proposals from the representatives of the city below them. 

It was completely silent, save for the ruffling of paper and an occasional shifting of leather as the two repositioned themselves.

The silence lasted for maybe three hours before someone finally broke it. A small knock on the open doorway made both women look up. Sam stood there, brown eyes glancing between Lena and Kara. “Oh, there you are; how’s everything going?” Lena set down her papers, sitting straight in her seat.

“Practically everything is ready; just waiting on a few of the more exotic items to arrive. I need your final say on music and then we’ll be all set here,” Sam replied as she moved further into the room. She had papers in her hand, setting them on Lena’s desk before turning her attention to Kara.

“I see you’ve found Athena’s favorite hiding spot… Enjoying your book?” She smiled sweetly, trying to glance through the iron bars along the mezzanine to see the book. Kara stood, moving to lean against the wooden railing to look down at her a little better.

Lena had her head down, reading a long list and circling a few of the titles with a quill. “It’s okay… I want to yell at the characters for being so oblivious, though.” Sam lightly laughed at the comment, nodding in agreement. “Most stories are like that.”

At the sound of Lena pushing the papers back, Sam looked down. She read through the list before nodding in agreement. “Good choices… Do you know what you’re going to wear?” Lena cockily smiled, tilting her head. “Of course I do; it’s my own party, I’ve got to look good.”

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, looking at the interaction between the two. She had no idea what they were talking about. What did Lena mean it was her own party? Was something going on?

Sam looked back up at Kara, calling up, “And what about you? Do you have something picked out yet?” Lena spoke before Kara could voice her confusion. “Oh, crap… I forgot to tell her; We’re going to be hosting a ball in a week.”

The explanation didn’t help Kara’s confusion at all. She furrowed her eyebrows further and tilted her head. “Uh… Okay? What for? Am I expected to go?” Lena turned slightly in her seat to look up at Kara better.

“To celebrate my fleets successful test out at sea after such a long hiatus. And yes, you’re expected to come- although I guess you don’t have anything to wear.” Lena pursed her lips in thought, eyes fluttering down to her finger tapping on her crossed knee.

Kara was about to protest when suddenly an idea came to Lena. “Oh, Sam, why don’t you take her to Tifa La Mode? She can sew up a dress faster than any seamstress I know.” Sam seemed to perk up at the idea of taking Kara out somewhere, smiling wide as she nodded.

Brown and green eyes turned towards Kara, who looked surprised at the sudden turn of events. “We’re going… Dress shopping? I don’t have any money…” All of her wealth was either at the bottom of the ocean, in a bank on the main land, or was burned the first night she was with Lena.

“Well of course I’d get you the dress,” Lena scoffed as if it was a silly comment. Kara didn’t relax into a state of acceptance, instead her suspicion heightening. “You’re going to just add that onto my ‘debt’ you’ve given me,” Kara retorted.

Lena sighed, standing and crossing her arms. “Come down here so I can talk to you without looking up.” Kara wanted to sassily reply that she’d still have to look up at her- Kara was taller than her, even with Lena’s heeled boots. Regardless, she knew better than to disobey the order.

Putting the book back on the shelf, Kara trotted back downstairs to talk on an even ground with the other two women. “Thank you… And to put your concerns at ease I won’t make you pay me back for anything more,” Lena continued, a genuine look on her face.

“In fact, I’ll reward you for going out and getting a dress; If you’re going to be on my arm that night, I need you looking good… Go out and get a dress with Sam, and I’ll give you a gift.” A mixture of insult at being ‘rewarded’ like a dog, and interest in what this gift would be filled Kara.

Her mind battled against itself; she didn’t want to give in to this woman’s demands, her heels itching to dig into the metaphorical ground. On the other hand, Kara knew that struggling would only make this harder… It was a simple command. It wasn’t like Lena was asking her to do something terrible.

With a heavy sigh, Kara turned to Sam. “When would you like to leave?” She asked with a slight frown. Sam smiled and clapped, obviously excited to take Kara out to town. “I’m ready now, if you are.” Kara glanced to Lena, who was giving her an approving smile. It made Kara feel sick, but hopeful that maybe with her compliance Lena would be softer on her for the rest of the day.

Gesturing for them to leave, Kara followed Sam out of the room. They went downstairs to the stables, where Kara managed to resaddle Asher for the second time that day on her own. Sam continued to guide the way down into National City, strolling through the streets on her brown, black, and white painted mare.

“So, how are you enjoying National City?” Sam asked, looking over to Kara. She had a kind looking face, smiling gently in genuine interest. It was a stark contrast to Lena’s constant smirks and cold looks. It felt… Good, to be smiled at like she wasn’t some sort of lost prey in the woods.

Kara glanced around the mentioned city before answering. “It’s very beautiful here; not at all what I was expecting… Athena showed me around earlier this morning, and I learned quite a lot.” Sam gave an amused hum, offhandedly nodding to someone who greeted her fondly- almost as fondly as the people who greeted Lena.

“I guess it isn’t what you think when you hear ‘pirate town’, huh? Athena worked very hard on making sure National City looked like any other city on the mainland.” They turned down a smaller street, Kara having to duck past a few low signs as they entered the Business District.

“I’ve noticed there aren’t any Devil’s Heart flags flown up around here? Not like at the small village by the port Athena took us to,” Kara mentioned, having noticed earlier on her tour with Lena. “The village you went to is called Airedale, and it’s the first town Athena really built, so they have a lot of pride in the Devil’s Heart and their captain.”

It made sense; the village probably held a lot of Lena’s old crew back when she first built it, compared to National City, which was a melting pot of other crews and people who ran away from the mainland. Lena was still their leader, but she wasn’t their captain like she was at Airedale.

The two women walked further down the street, taking a few more turns before stopping at a standalone shop in the middle of a small, open plaza. It was three stories tall, with grand windows and a huge sign that read _”Tifa La Mode”_.

In the windows Kara could see mannequins dressed in fine gowns and sharp suits. They looked incredibly expensive, and Kara wondered if Lena had been serious about not making her pay off such an expensive piece of clothing. 

Sam hopped off of her mare, Kara following her lead. There were metal hitching posts with an elegant horse head holding a metal ring in its mouth just outside of the dress shop. Kara watched Sam tie up her mount before mimicking the tie- a little sloppily –for Asher.

Entering the grand dress shop, the first thing Kara noticed was how well designed it was. French architecture littered every wall, a beautiful mural painted on the ceiling. Kara stared around in awe, her mouth slightly agape.

“Welcome to Tifa La Mode! Are you two looking for a dress for the ball?” A young woman with auburn hair stepped around a group of dresses on display. She was wearing a very elegant yet simple pink gown with a matching corset, her long hair tied up in a curled up-do.

“She is, yes. Athena asked us to find her something beautiful, so of course we came here,” Sam grinned wide, the associate looking excited. 

“Well then you’re in luck! Tifa is actually here today, to help with any resizing or additions we might need to do. If you follow me, I can get you guys a room reserved and we can start finding something for… What’s your name, ma’am?” The woman looked to Kara, tilting her head slightly.

Kara didn’t know why, but she had been surprised that she’d been addressed. She was already so used to standing next to someone who got all the attention, so Kara just defaulted to not paying much attention to what was going on in the conversation. “Oh, uhm- Kara. My name is Kara.”

The woman smiled wider, “Perfect! I’m Scarlet, if you’d like to follow me.” Sam gestured for Kara to walk ahead of her as Scarlet turned and started to guide them towards the back of the shop. 

There were even more dresses that Kara noticed as she followed along, looking at all of them in… excitement… Kara was _excited_ about picking out a dress. 

She felt normal again, like an actual person who mattered to those around her.

Scarlet stopped along the back wall, pointing out a row of curtains covering large dressing rooms. “This will be your room for today, so you know which one to come back to… Now, what exactly are we looking for?”

Kara answered quickly, an idea of what she wanted popping into her head. “Something blue… With off-shoulder sleeves, and dark lace.” Both Sam and Scarlet looked surprised by her choice and knowledge of dresses. To be fair she _was_ wearing a top that wasn’t very form fitting, and paints that were meant for barn or construction work.

“And the style? Would you like a Slip, Bardot, Maxi?... We’ve got pretty much every style here.” Scarlet ticked the dress styles off on her fingers as she listed them. Kara glanced to Sam before answering. “We’re going to a ball, aren’t we? Let’s do a ball gown- just not too much tool or fluff, please.”

At her request, Scarlet jumped into action. “If you two would like to look the bottom and second story are open to you. The top floor is for alterations, so we’ll go up there once we find a dress.” She left, already searching through rows of dresses and fabric already laid out.

Sam let Kara break away, strolling to one of the side walls that held some beautiful dresses. She searched through them for a while, finding a few that she liked. Taking the dresses off the rack, she moved to set them over by the dressing room.

As Kara turned around, she noticed Sam come up to her with two pairs of shoes in her hands. “Pick a style,” she showed Kara she shoes. One was strappy and open, while the other was more like a shoe, closed toed and low around the ankle.

“Uhm… Those, please,” Kara pointed to the closed shoes. Sam smiled at the choice, mentioning she was hoping Kara would pick those before practically running off. Kara smiled as the excitement in her chest buzzed, moving to look around the bottom floor a bit more.

Scarlet showed her a few dresses in passing, but left her alone to explore for the most part. After looking through all the dresses in the bottom floor, Kara moved to explore the second story. This floor had considerably more dresses, and a few tables full of jewelry.

Looking through all of the gowns and their colors, Kara found a beautiful blue ball gown that was the exact color of her eyes. It was near perfect, save for the fact that it had no lace on it. Kara studied the dress some more, just about to put it back when Scarlet found her.

“Would you like me to add that one to the collection? We might want to try some on before grabbing anymore.” Scarlet offered her hand to grab the dress. Kara studied the dress once more before shrugging and handing it to Scarlet. What was the harm in at least trying it out?

Following Scarlet downstairs, they went up to the dressing room where Sam sat on some plush couches situated around a small circular platform. “Alright, fashion show!” Sam cheered Kara on, clapping and whooping.

Grabbing the first dress, Scarlet walked into the large dressing room with her. “I’ll corset you up, and if you need help getting into the dress just let me know,” Scarlet explained as she moved to a small chest that held simple corsets.

After the pain staking process of getting into the torture device- at least that’s what Kara called it in her head, having never liked wearing a corset –Kara finally was able to get into the first gown. It was a dark navy blue with lighter blue designs all over the bodice.

Stepping out to show Sam, there was no sparkle in Kara’s eye. She thought the dress was beautiful, but was too dark for her taste. Sam agreed, pointing out that the neckline was way too tall, and made her torso look too long.

Switching out for the next dress, the rest of the afternoon passed like this. There were multiple dresses that Kara really enjoyed, but none of them seemed to give her that _’Oh my god YES’_ feeling. Still, she powered through and continued trying on dress after dress.

After about the fifteenth Kara was about to call it off and choose one of the gowns she kind of enjoyed. “Let’s just try on one more, Kara. Then we can take a break and decide what you’d like to do next,” Scarlet reasoned, an insistent look in her eye.

Sighing, Kara agreed with a nod of her head. She went back into the dressing room and held her arms up for Scarlet to pull the overly fluffed gown over her head, wincing at the rough material as it scratched along her face. Now in just her underwear and the corset Kara was able to move around the room.

There were another five dresses lined up along the wall, Kara studying each of them. At the very end was the dress that she’d almost put back, with its ocean blue fabric and beautiful neckline. Kara grabbed it off the hanger, Scarlet hurrying over to help her slide into the ball gown.

After the dress was adjusted and tied closed, Kara moved to look into the long mirror on the fitting room wall. She looked… _AMAZING_! Kara stared at the blue of the dress that was reflected in her eyes. The neckline dipped down, but not too low.

Her broad shoulders were shown off, muscle subtly flexing as she turned. The off the shoulder sleeves were just loose enough that Kara sill had free range of her arms, so she didn’t feel constricted. The skirt was so long that it almost grazed the ground, fluffed out to just the right size.

Honestly, the only thing Kara didn’t like about the dress was how simple the fabric was. There was no lace, or designs sewn into it. It was just the simple ocean blue. “… Let’s see what Sam thinks,” Kara said as she tore her eyes way from herself in the mirror.

Leaving the dressing room, Kara moved to stand on the little pedestal in her bare feet. Sam’s eyes lit up at the dress, her usual smile pulling wide. “Oh wow… I love it! But it’s missing something,” Sam put a crooked finger to her lips in thought.

“I think it needs lace?” Kara offered, hoping Sam would agree. “Yeah, that would make it look even more beautiful, but… Here, let me try something out.” Sam stood, walking over to Kara. She reached up and pushed Kara’s long blonde curls back.

She took a step backwards to look a little bit better, but shook her head. “Here, maybe something like…” Scarlet came over from Kara’s side, gathering all her hair and pulling it into a mock pony tail. Sam pursed her lips and tilted her head. “Almost but… Not quite.”

“Can I try something?” Kara offered, an idea popping up in her head. Scarlet let her hair fall back down, stepping away with a nod. Kara lifted her arms up, closing her eyes as she pulled her hair up using muscle memory.

She pulled her hair up and a slightly swooping curve, bumping her bangs up ever so slightly as she tied everything in a bun, using a strand of her own hair to hold everything together crudely. Opening her eyes, Kara looked over to Scarlet and Sam.

They stared at her in awe, eyes wide and mouths ajar. “Holy… Wow…” Sam muttered, brown eyes dancing all over Kara. Scarlet could only nod in agreement. Kara felt herself blush a deep red, trying not to smile too wide at the flattering stares.

“My mother used to put my hair up like this when I was younger. I wore it like this almost every day when I went to tutoring,” Kara explained, gesturing to the bun that was already starting to slip out of its hold. “Imagine how good it’ll look when you actually have a mirror and hair tie,” Sam wondered aloud, still in awe even as Kara’s hair fell back around her shoulders.

“So it’s settled… Let’s get you up to Tifa, so she can fit that bodice a little better and add the lace,” Scarlet said as she broke through her trance, visibly blinking as she struggled to remain on task. Kara’s eyes lit up at the idea of being able to actually add lace.

Staying in the dress, Kara followed Scarlet up the stairs. “I’ll meet you guys up there, I’m just going to grab some shoes and jewelry,” Sam called up before disappearing into the sea of dresses below. Scarlet and Kara continued up the stairs, going up to the third floor.

The room was full of bolts of fabric, tables covered in half-finished dresses, and an entire station set up simply to sew the dresses. It was impressive, Kara raising her eyebrows in slight surprise as she looked around the room.

“Madam Mode? Are you available?... Tifa?... Dammit, woman, where the hell are you?!” Scarlet looked around the mountain of fabrics, trying to find the namesake of the dress shop. Suddenly from directly behind Kara, a small elderly voice spoke.

“Ah, so someone finally picked her?” Kara yelped, jumping three feet into the air as she spun to look at whoever spoke behind her. Scarlet appeared from a mountain of clothing, giving an exasperated huff. “How do you always disappear like that?!”

Tifa La Mode was a very short woman- maybe 4’9” on a good day –with a slightly hunched back from leaning over dresses all day. Her fingers were gnarled knots, calloused where you would hold a sewing needle. She wore some sort of thin slip with flat shoes, her grey-white hair pulled up into a Gibson girl bun.

Ignoring Scarlet’s question, Tifa started to circle around Kara. She started to mumble to herself about what needed to be brought in, and added to the dress. “Uhm… I was thinking about adding lace?” Kara awkwardly added over Madam Mode’s lengthening list.

“Come, stand here,” Tifa reached up and grabbed Kara’s elbow- which was almost above her head –pulling her over to a full length tri fold mirror. She grabbed a wrist band with a puff of cotton contained in old fabric that held a countless number of pins.

Tifa started to mark what needed to be taken in as Kara stood there awkwardly, glancing to Scarlet who watched as if this was a completely normal interaction. “You want lace? Where?” Tifa grunted, still pinning the dress.

“Uhm… Around here, and kind of going down through here and here, as well as some around the hem?” Kara pointed out where she wanted it around her bodice, hips, and along the skirt of her dress. Madam Mode glanced up as she explained, giving no expression as to if she agreed or not with the placement.

She put in a few more pins before disappearing suddenly into a pile of fabric. Kara stared at where she went, glancing back at Scarlet who was picking at something on her nail. Sam entered shortly after, holding up a pair of matte black oxford heels and some jewelry.

“Hey, I thought you might look good in- The fuck?!” Sam started to speak, but jumped and scrambled sideways when Tifa La Mode suddenly appeared out of the cloth. Tifa didn’t even glance at Sam as she practically waddled back to Kara, as if nothing had happened.

She held up multiple small bolts of lace, all of them different colors. Kara looked at them all, trying to decide. “… That one?” She pointed to the black bolt, but Tifa was already shaking her head. “No, that one’s too bold… You’ll want this,” She held up a bolt of navy blue to Kara’s bodice.

It was dark enough that it stuck out perfectly, but not too dark that it drowned out the light blue of the dress. “Oh, yeah that looks much better,” Kara mumbled more to herself than anyone. Tifa grunted in agreement, moving to set the navy lace to the side.

Sam shuffled closer, showing Kara the shoes and jewelry. It was a simple necklace and matching bracelet with a little silver hair piece. “Maybe not the hair?” Kara suggested quietly as Madam Mode started to talk loudly in a French-sounding language to Scarlet.

Agreeing with Kara’s choice, Sam stepped back just as Tifa swooped in with yellow chalk. Madam Mode was still talking in an almost aggressive tone to Scarlet, wo talked back just as aggressively, as she started to sketch strange outlines directly onto Kara’s dress.

Kara almost protested, gasping as she saw the chalk powder the fabric. She stopped herself, however, realizing that Tifa seemed to be outlining where the lace would lay. She watched her silently as Tifa marked some areas that Kara had requested, while adding in a few other sections.

It didn’t take long before all the lace was marked out, Madam Mode setting the yellow chalk down. “Good… Off with the dress; I’ll start working on it now. It’ll be done in two days, come back then.” Kara stepped away from the mirror, following Scarlet as she led the way back to the ground floor of the dress shop.

Carefully taking the dress of- it was incredibly hard not to disturb the pins or chalk marks –Scarlet hung the dress back up to take upstairs once again. “Uhm… I don’t have my own money to pay you, but Athena said-“ Kara awkwardly started, but Scarlet cut her off with a wave.

“No need to worry about that, Kara; Athena’s good at paying her tabs, we trust you two.” Scarlet offered her a wide smile and a kind look. Kara returned the smile, thankful that she didn’t have to be held accountable.

They finished the dress shopping by putting the shoes and agreed upon jewelry in special bags, Kara offering to take them. “I’ll put them in my saddle bags, don’t worry; People know not to steal from me, but I think they’d try to take it from you,” Sam reasoned as she tucked the bags under her arm.

The two woman said goodbye to Scarlet, Kara thanking her profusely for her help before hurrying after Sam as she started to leave. Asher and Sam’s mare were still hitched to their posts, lazily chewing on the metal bits in their mouths as they hung their heads low.

“So, how hungry are you right now?” Sam asked as she put the items in her saddle bags. Taken aback by the question, she answered without thinking. “I’ve only eaten some bread and fruit so… Kind of hungry.” Sam grinned at the answer, pulling herself into her saddle. “Perfect, follow me then.”

Kara untied Asher and got onto her back, steering her mare to follow Sam. They left the Business District and entered the Market District. By now it was early evening, the streets bustling with towns people making their way home or to the taverns for a quick drink.

The restaurant that Sam led them to was a very simple and small building with the image of a cooked ham leg on the sign above the door. Sam dismounted and tied up her mare, Kara doing the same before following her into the restaurant.

It was a simple, homely business with tables filling the main area. They seated themselves at a table next to a window that faced out into the street. Sam got comfortable, leaning back in her seat as she looked across the table at Kara.

“Did you have fun today?” Sam smiled wide, a soft look in her eyes. Kara grinned in reply, nodding. “This place feels so… Normal,” she admitted. Sam hummed softly in agreement. “That’s because it is normal… The only difference between here and the mainland is the name of our ruler.”

Before Kara could reply a young man came up to them, setting down two glasses already full of dark ale. “Good evening ladies, what would you like to eat tonight?” He looked between them expectantly. Sam ordered a stew with roasted corn on the side without hesitation, looking to Kara expectantly.

Kara had to think for a moment, not used to just having to guess what the people served in a restaurant. “Do you have any sort of roasted meat?” She asked politely. The server smiled and nodded, listing off what meals they had involving a roast. Kara decided to order some chicken and vegetables, thanking the waiter as he left.

Sam looked back at Kara, starting up another conversation. She talked about some of the dresses she’d seen while looking around, commenting on how brilliant Tifa La Mode could be in her designs. Kara talked easily with her, agreeing that a lot of the clothing items she looked at were made expertly.

The waiter came back with their food after a little while, Kara digging into her meal happily. The food was delicious, Kara sighing happily at her first bight. Sam smiled to her as she ate her own meal, an amused look in her eyes.

They fell into an easy silence as they enjoyed their food. Kara tried not to scarf hers down, but before she knew it the delicious chicken was gone, along with the sweetly glazed vegetables. She slightly pouted as she looked down at the empty plate, willing for some more food to reappear.

Sam noticed her look, chuckling quietly. “Would you like some more?” She was already flagging down the waiter, who had just finished serving another table. She requested another dish for Kara, who was surprised by the generosity.

The waiter nodded and left to put in the request to the back kitchen. Kara stared at Sam in silence for a moment, a sudden feeling of suspicion and mistrust washing over her. “Why are you being so nice to me? Aren’t you good friends with Athena?” Kara asked with a frown.

Sam took a sip of her ale before slowly setting the glass down with a small smile. “I’d consider us best friends, yes… Which is why I know how abrasive she can be. I figured you’d need a warmer touch every now and again.”

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, her curiosity rearing its head once again. Sam wasn’t wrong, it was definitely nice to be treated like a human again, and not some toy dog. “How long have you known Athena, then, if you’re best friends?”

At first Sam didn’t answer, her deep brown eyes studying Kara for a moment. “Since before she was cursed,” she replied carefully, shifting in her seat to lean an arm across the back of it.

The answer surprised Kara. She’d known Lena for that long? So many more questions popped up into her head. Her curiosity pushed her forward. “Did you know the Queen?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed at the name, a flash of anger passing over her face. “She wasn’t ‘the Queen’ when I knew her… She was just Victoria, the bitch who was clearly playing my friends heart like a fiddle…”

“So you didn’t like her then? Did you warn Athena about her?” Kara tilted her head, noticing the clench of Sam’s jaw.

“I did, but she was too love struck to care about my cautions…”

“Love struck?... She doesn’t seem like someone who’d be able to love…”

“If you’d known her before the curse you’d be surprised,” Sam mumbled, looking down at the table sadly.

“What do you mean by that?”

Sam didn’t answer straight away, visibly contemplating if she should continue on. “If I tell you, you promise not to say anything to Athena?”

Kara was nodding before she could process the question, leaning forward onto her elbows. The waiter came back with her food, but Kara was too interested in what Sam had to say to start eating again.

“Okay… What I mean is that… Victoria carved out her heart. She was a witch who needed Athena’s heart to become powerful- to become the queen. She twisted Athena into this greedy monster to fuel her own power hungry desires.”

Sam’s face flowed with emotion as she spoke, talking as if she was speaking about someone who’d passed away. Kara figured that in her mind, Athena really had passed away.

“With no heart… She became who she is now… Incapable of any emotion besides bitter anger, really.”

Incapable of any emotion… Kara thought back to the very first night she’d spent with Lena back in the tavern. Her coldness to her.

But there hadn’t been just bitter anger, that night… She’d shown positive emotions, too.

She’d seen happiness in Lena’s face before. She _was_ capable of emotion.

Or had that been just a trick of the light? Lena’d seem surprised by the happiness herself, turning the feeling into anger. That’s why she’d lashed out, calling the trip short to take Kara back to the tavern. 

The happiness had scared her, because for so long she’d been bathing in her anger and rage.

“She used to be so kind.” Sam’s reminiscing tone broke Kara from her own thoughts, looking up to the woman across from her. “She actually saved my life when we first met, you know.” Kara raised her eyebrow, silently waiting for Sam to continue.

“When I was a young girl my parents died in a fire… I was too old to go to an orphanage, so I was forced out onto the streets. I could only get a job as a… I had to sell my body for years just to survive.” She paused as she took a deep pull from her half empty glass.

“One night a customer got a little too rough. He was throwing me around the room, beating me black and blue. I guess Athena had heard my cries from the street, because before I knew it the man was on the floor with a knife in his neck.”

Sam finally looked up from the spot in the table she had been staring at for the entire story. “She took me to her captain- said she’d watch after me and work for my keep. We became close shortly after that, and I’ve been in her debt ever since. She insists I’m not, but I have my life thanks to her.”

The story trailed off into silence as Kara processed the words. A woman cursed to feel nothing but anger, given the power of the sea as payment for her soul… It put so much into perspective. Kara had to admit she’d probably end up just like Lena if she’d been slighted by the one she loved like that.

Her appetite wasn’t nearly as strong as it was earlier, but Kara felt obligated to eat her second serving regardless. Of course it tasted just as good, so she didn’t entirely mind. Sam silently stared out the window in thought as Kara ate, waiting patiently for her to finish.

After the plate was cleaned and Sam paid for the meal they left the restaurant. It was just after sunset, the city streets lined with lanterns as the two women rode back up to the castle. They spoke easily, Sam telling little stories while Kara listened in amusement.

They returned to the stables, Kara unsaddling Asher for the last time that day, putting her in her stable for the night. She followed Sam out into the small court yard, pausing to look up at the castle. “You’ll probably find Athena in her office, still… She tends to be there most of her days.”

Kara nodded, Sam turning to walk off in her own direction. “Sam?” Kara called out, making the other woman pause and turn. “Thank you… For everything”. Sam smiled wide, nodding before waving. 

She turned around and walked off into the darkness, leaving Kara alone.

**********

The ball was tomorrow. Kara had picked up her dress with Sam a few days ago, hanging it up in a special garment back to stay in Kara’s small room. 

Sam had been right when she said that Lena spent most of her time in her office.

The past six days had been very unproductive in Kara’s point of view. For most of her days she just read up in the library, only coming down when Lena asked her to grab something. She seemed to decide that Kara’s duties were to fetch her things around the castle, delivering papers and receiving messages.

Lena spoke very little to Kara, clearly very focused on her work. Kara had kept her promise to not let Lena know that Sam had told her a little about her past, keeping the information locked tightly in her head, so there wasn’t much to talk about.

Kara had just gotten back from exchanging a letter with the falconer who would send off his birds around the city as a sort of mail system between the castle and the town below. He took her letter while giving her a small scroll with a polite smile.

Returning to the office at the very top of the tower, Kara silently went up to Lena as she hunched over a ledger at her desk. She handed the scroll off with her left hand, about to just drop it on the desk when suddenly long slender fingers wrapped around her forearm.

Kara tensed, blue eyes shooting down to look at Lena. She was holding her arm, looking at the bandages on her wrist. 

A bitter taste quickly filled Kara’s mouth at the acknowledgement of the wound.

Part of her blamed Lena for the brand, but the other part of her knew that it was her own fault for being so stupid.

“How are you healing?” Lena suddenly asked. The question took Kara off guard, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Uh,” Kara mumbled, unsure of how to answer the question. She refused to look at the wound, always turning her wrist down when she dressed it with fresh bandages.

Lena gave a long sigh, understanding her silence. “May I look?” Kara’s eyes locked with green ones as she stared down at Lena. She was… Asking her? It was a stark contrast to the demanding tone Lena usually used when speaking to Kara.

“Uhm… Okay?” She didn’t know why she wasn’t saying no, but regardless it was too late to change her mind. Lena started to gently unwrap the bandages, taking an odd amount of care in make sure she wasn’t hurting the tender skin.

Kara looked away, still refusing to look at the brand. She felt the cool air in the office hit the still irritated skin, squeezing her eyes shut at the uncomfortable sensation. She could feel Lena’s eyes on the wound, searching the charred, bubbling skin.

Carefully, Lena moved her thumb to gently glide a few centimeters above the brand, touching the unnaturally warm skin. The dull pain caused Kara to jolt and tense, automatically trying to pull her wrist away. Lena’s grip tightened on her forearm, not allowing her to take her wrist back.

“Hey-” Lena’s voice said in a sharp tone, “-You’ll hurt yourself.” Kara’s eyes blinked open at the words, turning to glance at Lena’s face. She deliberately didn’t look any lower, not wanting to see the brand still.

Lena had a genuine look on her face, eyes filled with slight concern as her full crimson lips tilted down in a frown. A small crease deepened between her eyebrows as they twitched closer together. She held eye contact with Kara for only a brief moment before turning to the glass of wine she had been playing around with earlier.

“Here,” she mumbled, hovering her hand over the glass. Water started to leak up the sides of the cup, dripping up into a thin puddle on Lena’s hand, casually defying gravity. She pulled her hand away, leaving only a concentrated grape juice behind as she took the separated water in her hand back over to Kara’s wrist.

Kara tensed in anticipation for pain as Lena lowered the ball of water onto the brand, squeezing her eyes shut once again.

But no pain came.

Instead, a soothing coolness washed over her burning wrist. Kara relaxed, opening her eyes again to look down at what was happening. Lena’s hand gently cupped around the wound, the water in her palm bubbling over the burn.

It didn’t heal the skin, but it soothed the constant dull pain that Kara had grown accustomed to. Kara felt her hand slacken and relax at the sensation, unable to stop the pleased sigh from blowing through her nose.

Lena glanced up from what she was doing before looking back down. She lifted her hand to check out the wound, peaking under it as she angled it so it blocked the brand from Kara’s view. She frowned and placed her hand back down on the wrist.

“If you’re not careful, it’ll get worse,” Lena mumbled, her concern foreign to Kara. “We don’t want to have to cut off your arm, now would we? You’d be useless then.” There it was; that sarcastic tone that made Kara grind her teeth in irritation.

Lena removed her hand, Kara quickly adverting her eyes. She took her wrist back, angling it down so she didn’t have to see the brand. Lena carelessly tossed the dirty water into the useless grape juice as she leaned back in her seat.

“Rewrap it with clean bandages, and then meet me down at the stables; Sam asked us to drinks tonight… I have something to give you, anyways.” Lena looked back down at her ledger, continuing with some last minute work.

Huffing, Kara did as she was told. She returned to her room where she kept some spare gauze, wrapping the brand as it started to dully throb again. Once it was secured, Kara found her way down to the stables.

Lena wasn’t there yet, so Kara took the opportunity to saddle Asher while she waited.

She was just about done tightening the cinch when she heard the sound of Lena’s boots walking across the cobble stone. Kara looked from around Asher to see her captor appearing in the doorway. She held something long and thin, wrapped in a blanket of some sort.

Kara arched her eyebrow at the item, walking around Asher to meet Lena as she walked down the stable hallway. “I finally remembered that gift for you I mentioned the other day,” Lena said with a gesture of the item in her hands.

It took an awkwardly long time for Kara to remember that Lena had promised her a gift if she listened to her and got a dress with Sam. She honestly thought Lena had been joking, not expecting anything as payment.

Lena offered the wrapped item to Kara, a careless look on her face. Kara carefully took the item with both hands, testing the weight of whatever was in the blanket. It wasn’t heavy, but it did have a decent amount of weight to it.

She glanced up to Lena to see that she was watching her with an intense look, eyebrow quirking when she hesitated. “Open it,” Lena demanded, clearly impatient. Kara held one side of the long item while pulling the blanket off with the other.

The first thing Kara saw was a beautiful golden pommel, which had a painstaking floral design carved into it. The handle of the saber looked to be made of some sort of ivory with gold wiring twisted around for a more textured grip.

The cross guard, matching the gold accents, looked as if it was thorn branches that twisted into the proper finger rings and knuckle guard. It curled wide, reaching all the way to the pommel, attached to it as if it was the stem of the flowers.

The blade was a little wider than Kara was used to, the curve more exaggerated towards the tip. When Kara looked closer she could see the floral design stamped down the fuller, ending just above the middle section. It appeared beautifully on both sides, not a single imperfection noticeable in the design.

Kara stared at the sword in her hand, subconsciously moving to grab the hilt and hold it up to the light better. She naturally wrapped her fingers loosely, testing the weight of it as she swayed the tip of the sword low towards the ground. It felt perfect, like an extension of her arm.

Looking back up at Lena, who was still watching her with an intense gaze, Kara furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re giving me this?” It felt too good to be true; she expected Lena to laugh and take the sword back, but the mocking never came.

Instead, Lena nodded, glancing to the beautiful gold, white, and silver of the weapon. “I originally had it commissioned for myself a few years ago, but it’s too heavy for my taste… I figured you could use it instead.” 

Kara didn’t let her guard down, still giving Lena a scrutinizing look.

Lena sighed, seeing the disbelief in her face. “It’s so you can protect yourself… I won’t be able to constantly be around you once we’re back at sea, so… It’s a _gift_ , just take it!” Lena waved her arms, rolling her eyes as she turned away.

If Kara had known better, she would have thought Lena had just gotten flustered over explaining her gift to her.

Regardless, instead of fighting the reasoning behind finally getting a weapon to protect herself, Kara accepted the sword. She found the sheath in the blanket as well, carefully leaning the sword against the stable wall to put the belt around her waist.

She took the saber and slid it snuggly into the leather sheath at her side, adjusting it to lay a little more comfortably against her left hip. The weight felt good, and it didn’t stick too far back behind Kara as she walked.

Lena took Outlaw out of his stall, saddling him up in- flustered? –silence as Kara finished adjusting Asher’s cinch and reins. Once both horses were ready to go the two women mounted them and made their way to the tavern Sam was already at.

It didn’t take too long for them to find the tavern, but to Kara’s disgruntlement it was packed with people already. Lena managed to find a spot for them to hitch their horses before guiding Kara inside. The tavern was extremely loud, almost every table full of patrons.

Lena managed to find Sam in the corner of the bar, already sitting at a table she claimed. Kara sat across from Sam while Lena sat snuggly in the corner of the room. Sam launched into a story over the voices in the bar about how at least five people tried to take their seats from them, and she’d almost gotten into a fist fight with a few of them.

After her story she eyed Kara, having noticed her new sword as soon as she walked into the room. “So, you gave it to her?” Sam asked, addressing Lena before turning back to Kara. “How do you like it? You look good!”

Kara smiled, flattered as she replied, “It’s really nice, I like it… Almost seems too good to be true.” Kara glanced to Lena, who smirked. “That’s good; too bad you can’t wear it with your dress. That’d be one hell of a combination!” Sam laughed at the thought of Kara armed while in a ball gown.

The conversation continued on for a little before Sam stood. “I’ll get us some drinks; what would you like, Kara? I know what you want already, Athena,” Sam glanced to Lena, who smiled knowingly. Kara shook her head, waving a hand in denial. “I’m alright, I don’t feel like drinking tonight.”

Sam frowned, but didn’t push. She disappeared into the crowd, pushing past people towards the bar top. Kara watched where she left for a long moment before the movement of Lena sitting forward on the table caught her attention.

“What _does_ your dress look like, anyways? You never told me.” Lena quirked her eyebrow, a curious look in her eyes. Kara had remembered what Sam had said to her when they went to pick up the dress after it’s alterations. _”Don’t show Athena your dress; make her wait for it.”_

Kara wasn’t entirely sure why Sam insisted on keeping the dress a secret, but regardless she wanted to keep the promise to the woman she now considered a friend. “I can’t tell you,” Kara answered simply. She leaned away and crossed her arms defiantly.

The look of distressed surprise on Lena’s face almost made Kara laugh. Her jaw dropped slightly, eyebrows furrowing as an almost playfully insulted look flashed through her eyes. “Seriously? You’re going to go against my command?”

The irritating words only made Kara dig her heels in more. “Yup,” She said simply, a defiant look on her face as she watched Lena stare back at her. Annoyance at the blatant subordination filled Lena’s green eyes as they narrowed.

She opened her mouth as if about to demand the information about the dress when she was interrupted by Sam setting a glass of wine in front of her. “Leave the poor girl alone, Athena,” Sam scolded, recognizing the look her friend was giving Kara.

Lena puffed up defensively, but decided to listen to Sam, dropping the subject begrudgingly. Kara gave her new friend a grateful look, which Sam replied to by subtly winking. She changed the subject to something else, turning to Lena.

For the most part Kara was silent as the listened to the two close friends talk about a subject she was unfamiliar with. Occasionally Sam would include her in on the conversation, but Lena hardly even acknowledged her.

The night passed by at a comfortable pace as Kara listened and sometimes spoke. Sam got up every once and a while to get another drink, always offering to grab Kara one, while Lena just held her glass of wine in her hand.

After a few hours Sam decided she had enough of the loud tavern, finishing her ale before suggesting they leave for the night. Lena agreed, Kara standing at her expectant look. This time Kara led the way out of the tavern, sliding through the sea of bodies.

Breaking out into the fresh night’s air Kara took a deep breath, glancing up and down the streets. Lena and Sam had yet to come out, getting stuck behind the wall of people. Kara was content to wait, but a figure in the shadows caught her eye.

A man was rifling through saddle bags, clearly in search of something. The problem was that they weren’t his saddle bags... He was searching Outlaw, trying to find valuables in Lena’s belongings.

Kara didn’t really know why she called out to stop him, considering she didn’t care much for Lena or her belongings, but her voice echoed through the streets loudly before she even processed she had spoken. The man looked up at her loud, “Hey!”, narrowing his eyes.

He cussed at her, waving his hand carelessly as he turned back to the bags. He didn’t seem drunk, just big and dumb. Kara marched forward, grabbing the man by the shoulder and yanking him away from Outlaw. “That’s not your horse,” Kara scolded in a deep tone.

The man stumbled before smacking Kara’s hand off of him. “Fuck off, ya dumb bitch,” The man continued to cuss, shoving her broad shoulders. Kara only took a step backwards at the shove before her irritation turned into anger.

Grabbing the man by the shirt with both fists, she turned and threw him into the center of the street. The people who had been walking all paused, freezing at the sudden altercation. 

By now Sam and Lena were just stepping out of the tavern, confusion on their face as they saw Kara’s red face and the man on the ground. The thief started to swear loudly, scrambling up. He grabbed the sword at his side and ripped it from its sheath with an uncoordinated flourish.

From behind, Sam moved to also grab at her own blade, but Kara’s sword was already out of its sheath. The dull grey of the man’s sword clashed with the shining silver of Kara’s. Sparks flew off of the blades as they slid apart, Kara parrying the attack.

She stayed on the defensive side as the thief swung again, blocking the hit as more sparks flashed through the air. The man was quick, striking in quick succession. Kara, however, was able to keep up easily. It must of irritated him, his blows getting slower and stronger.

He tried again, arching his sword wide as he slashed in a diagonally upward movement. Kara leaned backwards, watching as the tip of the blade flew centimeters from her face. The wind from the attack fluttered through her hair as she started to lean forward again.

The momentum of the attacker’s sword brought his arms high up, leaving him exposed, too slow to bring the sword down to block. Kara twisted her sword in her hand so that the knuckle guard was directly over her clenched fist like brass knuckles.

She had learned the move as a first mate from her captain, who’d taught her to always avoid killing when possible. The sturdy thorns of the guard pierced into the man’s lower sternum as Kara punched him directly in the chest.

Hearing the hollow thud, mixed with the sound of all the attackers air leaving his lungs was almost sickening. The man fell backwards, gasping for air as he tried to regain his footing. Kara was already stepping forward, kicking the sword quickly out of his hand. 

The fight was over before it even began.

The tip of Lena’s dazzling sword pressed against the man’s chest, keeping him on the ground. Rage seethed through her as she glared down at the man. Kara could see her shoulder tense, about to press the blade into his chest in a killing blow.

“Wait!” Kara called out, suddenly reaching forward to grab Lena’s forearm to stop her. Lena froze, her blazing eyes snapping up to Kara. “Don’t kill him,” Kara demanded, holding eye contact despite the spike of fear that zipped down her spine.

Lena clenched her jaw, visibly contemplating if she should listen or not. “… _Please_ ,” Kara added in a desperate whisper. She didn’t want this night to end so poorly. The man was an idiot, yes, but he didn’t deserve to die for it.

The pleading look in Kara’s eyes seemed to convince Lena to slowly pull the tip of her sword off of the man’s chest. Relief rushed through Kara as Lena took a step backwards, moving to return her bejeweled sword to her side.

Someone must have called the guards, because two armored figures appeared through the crowed. They quickly deduced who the thief was, yanking him up off the ground. Kara stepped backwards, standing close to Outlaw as the guards searched him.

He luckily hadn’t gotten anything from Lena’s saddle bags, only a few knick knacks in his pockets that seemed worthless. Kara watched as the guards dragged the still wheezing man away, only looking away when she noticed Lena walking towards her.

“Home. Now.” She still looked angry, fists clenching at her side. Kara swallowed hard, sheathing her own saber before quickly heaving herself onto Asher. Adrenaline still pumped through her veins at the fight, her fingers trembling.

Lena got onto Outlaw, looking down to Sam who was still on the ground. “We’ll see you tomorrow, Sam,” Lena said curtly before wheeling Outlaw around. She kicked him into a canter, leaving the two women behind. Kara gave Sam a scared look before turning Asher around to follow.

With the fast pace the two got to the castle in a matter of minutes. Kara chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously, waiting for Lena to blow up on her. The explosion didn’t come when they dismounted and unsaddled their horses, nor did it come when they were walking through the dark hallways of the castle.

They managed to get all the way up to Lena’s room, Lena shutting the doors after Kara awkwardly walked into the room before she spoke. “Don’t... _Ever_ … Stop me like that again.” Lena glared at Kara, her clenched fists shaking.

Irritation rolled down Kara’s back like ice water, but she kept herself calm by breathing in deeply. “Fine.” She mumbled, moving to walk past Lena and out of the room. Suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed Kara’s bicep.

She was spun around until her back slammed roughly against the wall right next to the doorframe. Kara’s eyes fluttered open, having instinctively closed them, flinching when she saw Lena inches away from her face.

“Don’t sass me, Kara… Stay out of my way.” Lena growled, her perfect teeth bared. She didn’t know what angered her more; the way her spine shivered at the sound of her name coming from Lena’s lips, or the fact that she was being scolded like a dog.

Her stubbornness prevented Kara from stopping herself as she leaned forward half an inch. “Or what?” Kara dared, her blue eyes boring into green. The hand on her bicep tightened painfully, a muscle flexing in Lena’s jaw.

“Or you might get hurt… I think we both know I don’t have any self-control when I’m angry.” 

The reply surprised Kara. She’d expected some sort of threat on her life, not a concerned- albeit forcefully worded -warning. 

She could still see the anger in Lena’s eyes, but there was a hidden fear behind it all. She was scared of hurting Kara? It didn’t make any sense, and that only made Kara angrier.

“I don’t think you can do much worse,” Kara hissed. In one movement she pressed her hands to Lena’s abdomen and shoved. Not expecting the retaliation, Lena stumbled backwards, falling on her ass. Kara was already throwing open the closed doors, storming out of the office before she could face the repercussions of her actions.

She ignored the guilt that settled heavily on her chest, having caught a glimpse at the hurt on Lena’s face when she turned to run away. 

**********

The entire day Lena completely ignored Kara. She worked at her desk tirelessly, not even asking Kara to stop her reading to send messages. The only time she even said anything to her was when it was close to 3pm, having finally closed the book she’d been working in.

Lena looked up at Kara, who had been sitting in the little reading nook all day. “The ball starts in an hour… Go get dressed.” Kara looked up from her book, surprised by the sudden demanding voice. She frowned, but stood.

Walking out the door, she could feel Lena watching her before she was cut off from her view. Kara trotted down the stairs with a huff. 

She still felt bad for the way she acted the night before, but at the same time she felt justified.

Lena was the one who pinned here to the wall, it’s not like her shove was unprovoked… But the hurt in her eyes as she looked up at Kara like someone who’d just been betrayed stilled pulled at her heart unwantingly.

But it was too late to take back her actions, so Kara accepted them with reluctant resolve.

Trotting down to her room, Kara stood in front of the hidden dress that hung from a hook on her wall. Her shoes were set under it, the fancy necklaces and matching bracelet on her bedside table.

Luckily the dress had come with a complimentary corset- made from the same fabric as the dress. Sam had helped Kara the day they got it lace up the corset, so all Kara had to do was slip it on over her head and tighten it.

Undressing down to her panties, Kara pulled the corset uncomfortably over her bare chest. The boning was stiff, refusing to bend while Kara leaned at awkward angles to shimmy it over her shoulders. With one final push down to her bodice, the corset set firmly on Kara’s hips.

Blowing her now messy hair out of her face, Kara went to the mirror, turning so she could look back at what she was doing. It took multiple tries of tying and untying the bow in the back before her corset felt like it was tightened properly.

Kara gave herself a once over, eyeing her now pushed up breasts and trim waste. It honestly didn’t matter how it looked, considering it was all going under the ocean blue dress in a minute. Kara hadn’t seen the dress yet, deciding that the day of the ball was when she would look at it.

She was thankful with that decision, a gasp escaping Kara’s lips when she pulled the gown bag off of the dress. It fell away to show the beautiful blue, accented with the deep navy lace. Tifa La Mode had even added dark silver pearls to some of the curls of the lace, drawing your eye all over the dress.

Smiling wide, Kara pulled the gown off of the hanger and carefully stepped into it. She managed to lace this dress up in the back as well, reaching awkwardly over her shoulders to tie and tuck the bow inside the dress.

Once she was satisfied with how the dress laid across her body, Kara moved her attention to her hair; With all the fabric that had to go over her head, Kara wasn’t surprised to see a frizzy, ruffled sea of gold around her head.

Taking a brush, Kara attempted to tame the mane, having to take some water from a pitcher she’d put there that morning to wet down the frizz. Once the brush ran through every part of her hair with no snags or tangles Kara finally started to put her hair up.

Much like she had done the day she’d been trying on dresses, Kara pulled it all back into an elegant bun, bumping her bangs up to give the hairstyle a little more shape. Thankfully her hair was long enough to avoid too many fly-aways, but she did have to add some pins Sam had given her to the back.

The final pieces of the outfit were the necklace and bracelet, which were easy to clasp on. Kara adjusted the bracelet on her right wrist- her left was still wrapped in the white bandages –before finally looking up to see the full look in the mirror.

_’Beautiful’_

Was the first thought that ran through Kara’s mind… She’d never once thought of herself as beautiful, always wearing her masculine captains uniform or dresses that had been too flashy to her. But this… This dress made Kara feel elegant; royal, even.

She stared at herself for a long time. The way her shoulders dipped, with her collar bones sticking out slightly, and her long neck leading to a strong jawline. Her tanned skin practically glowed in the low light of her bedroom, a confident grin pulling at Kara’s pink lips.

The only thing that made Kara look away from herself was a soft knock at her door. “Yes?” Kara called out, not wanting Lena to walk in on her- she’d stuck with Sam’s request to keep her dress a secret. “Hey, are you ready?” Sam’s called through the door.

The sound of her friend’s voice made Kara’s grin turn into a smile of excitement. She hurried to the door, tossing it open to show Sam her outfit. Sam was in her own dress- a deep golden color ball gown that accented the honey color of her eyes well –smiling wide at Kara as she looked her up and down.

“You look amazing!” Sam clapped, bouncing in her dress. Kara blushed at the compliment, unable to stop herself from giggling like a little girl. “You do, too! Oh, here, let me get my shoes on then we can go.”

Kara stepped backwards, turning to grab the heels Sam had picked out for her at the dress shop. She easily slipped into them, adjusting her toes a little before striding back over to Sam. “Okay, ready,” Kara said with a satisfied nod.

The two women made their way through the halls, eventually joining the patrons that were filing into the castle. Everyone was dressed elegantly, Kara glancing around at all the fine suits and dresses. She noticed a few people also looking at her, a mixture of envy and admiration in their eyes.

Kara could feel some anxiety buzzing against the surface of her skin as they got closer to the ball room. She didn’t exactly know what this party entailed, so she didn’t know what to expect. Was it going to be like any ball on the mainland? Or was it going to be full of energetic dancing and booze?

Stepping into the ballroom, Kara felt her lungs take in a deep breath. She’d only seen the room in passing when Lena showed her around the castle, and it’d been covered in sheets and completely empty. Now, however, it seemed to come to life.

The trio of massive chandeliers that had been originally covered now shone brightly, lighting up the entire room. The floor was glazed brick, the deep red contrasted by white and gold walls. Archways lined the entire room; some let to small nooks for people to converse in, while others were doorways that led out of the ballroom and into hallways.

Kara looked all around the room, noticing a table of food on one side and a string quartet on the other side. They were playing beautiful music, keeping it slow as the people who already there danced near the center of the room.

Sam walked with the flow of the crowd, Kara following before they broke off to the side. The room was already decently full, conversation almost drowning out the music. Kara was looking around, unable to keep her eyes off the gold designs on the ceiling.

“I know Athena is somewhere in here, I’m just not sure where… I’m going to go grab something to drink while I look for her,” Sam spoke over the drone of the crowd, leaning into Kara’s ear so she could hear. Although she didn’t really want to be alone, Kara nodded in agreement.

She figured she could explore a little more before returning to the little spot they stopped in. Sam disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kara to slowly walk around. She walked along one wall before deciding to cut across through the middle of the room.

There were some patrons dancing, but nothing seemed to be coordinated as others walked straight through the room. Kara followed their lead, dipping between couples as she tried to make her way through.

Kara had just reached the direct center of the room- glancing up at the beautiful lights above her –when suddenly someone grabbed her wrist. Kara was about to turn her head to look when she felt herself being turned and pulled into someone’s chest.

She tensed, about to pull away when she heard the velvety voice of Lena speaking into her ear. “There you are… I thought you’d stick to Sam’s side all night.” Lena pulled back slightly to look Kara in the face. She had an odd look in her green eyes as they danced around the blue lace all along her bodice.

The feeling of Lena’s hand gliding around Kara’s waist to rest on the small of her back sent goosebumps across her arms and neck, unable to repress the shiver that came with them. If Lena noticed the shiver she didn’t show any reaction towards it, her eyes still trailing all over Kara.

It made her cheeks burn in a deep blush, adverting her eyes down.

That’s when Kara noticed what Lena was wearing; She was in a red and black suit, her crimson, gothic Victorian coat stopping just above her knees. Underneath the coat she wore a matching vest and a black collared shirt under that. Her black pants were extremely well fitting, with a red stripe running on the outer seam of each leg.

She looked… Extremely attractive. Kara quickly looked up at her face, trying to ignore the way her brain practically purred at the form fitting outfit. Of course that didn’t help, only making Kara notice how good Lena looked when she wore her hair in a half-up.

Her long black locks tumbled down around one shoulder, her bangs pulled out of her face in the tie behind her head. It showed off her broad jaw and strong brows perfectly. Lena was unfairly beautiful, and Kara couldn’t help but wonder if that was part of her curse.

Lena didn’t notice Kara’s staring, her own eyes still looking all over the dress and her hair. She suddenly looked up to Kara’s face, her green eyes a little darker than they normally would be. She leaned forward to speak into Kara’s ear again.

“You look beautiful.”

The sharp inhale that Kara’s lungs did was involuntary, her shoulders tensing. She had no idea what to say to Lena’s compliment. Why was she acting so nice after their fight last night? She’d ignored her all day, but now all of a sudden was giving Kara her undivided attention.

Luckily Kara didn’t have to respond to the sweet words, Lena continuing to speak in a low tone. “Dance with me?” Her hand was already reaching to grab Kara’s limp right hand at her side, their fingers clasping. Lena pulled away from her ear to look Kara in the face, a questioning look in her eyes.

Against her better judgement, Kara nodded to the question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I made a [Tumblr](https://goddessofaries.tumblr.com/) for anyone interested in requesting one-shots or other stories like that. I'm still learning my way around posting stuff, so it'll probably take me a hot second to get used to being active with others on social media, lmao.
> 
> Till next time!  
> -Aries
> 
> p.s. Next chapter will be in Lena's POV


	8. Heart Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Lena does have a heart after all.   
> OR  
> Lena falls down a slippery slope of emotions that she hasn’t felt in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lot's of new emotion for Lena in this chapter! How will this turn out? Who knows. (We'll get back to Kara's POV in the next chapter).
> 
> Stay safe, everyone!  
> -Aries

Something was fluttering in Lena’s chest.

She could feel it; as if someone was trying to break through her sternum by beating on it repeatedly.

It was a fast and heavy _thump_ that made Lena start to worry that maybe she had a parasite or something?

No, that was impossible… Lena’s curse prevented her from getting sick- there was no way she could catch something like that.

So if it wasn’t a parasite, what was it? It felt as if she was having a…

Heart attack.

No.

_No!_

That was beyond impossible- 

This beating in her chest couldn’t possibly be her heart; it had turned into dust and dirt long ago! 

She was hollow inside- there was nothing to beat against her chest like this as she looked up at what she could only describe as a goddess.

From the moment Lena had spotted Kara across the ballroom she could feel that pestering thumping in her chest. She thought that maybe if she went up to Kara it’d stop, but that only made it worse. It felt like she was about to explode, her hands getting sweaty under her black silk gloves.

Lena had tried her best to conjure up all the confidence in the world when she’d grabbed Kara’s arm and pulled them together, commenting on her alluring blue dress and suggesting they dance to see if maybe she could transfer this anxiety onto someone else, but once again it only made things worse.

Now here she was, staring up into those beautiful blue eyes that had drawn her in from day one, watching in surprise as Kara nodded in agreement to the dance. 

She’d expected Kara to say no, or suggest they go find Sam instead.

So many plans were backfiring so quickly that Lena actually _froze_ for a second. She blinked up at Kara, who awkwardly blinked back. They were both very aware that they were just standing there in the center of the ball room.

Kara, probably thinking that Lena had been joking about the dance, started to pull out of the hands holding her. Lena sharply inhaled- gasped would be a better word if it didn’t hurt her dignity so much –her hands tightening around Kara’s back and hand.

Suddenly Lena lurched them into an awkward sort of waltzed, Kara stumbling the first few steps. Lena was almost half tempted to apologize, but she bit her tongue and kept her face blank instead. The last thing she needed was to get herself more flustered by saying sorry for something so trifling.

Kara made a face, a mixture of embarrassment and concentration in stepping into the proper rhythm. Lena didn’t know why, but she actually _slowed down_ to make it easier for her. Even Kara seemed surprised as she noticed the slowing pace, her eyes flickering up from her feet to give Lena a questioning look.

Both of them had been silent ever since Lena asked Kara to dance, neither of them entirely sure what to say. Lena was so busy battling with the feeling in her chest that she honestly forgot how to converse for a moment.

After multiple seconds she finally decided to just ignore the ‘heartbeat’ and focus on the woman- the beautiful woman –in front of her. She leaned in close to speak over the band and conversation around them so that Kara could actually hear her.

“I’m glad you kept the dress a secret,” Lena said softly, a hint of natural amusement in her voice. “You are?... Why?” Kara’s breath tickled against Lena’s ear, and for some reason Lena found it incredibly distracting.

What in the fuck was wrong with her?! Why was she losing her composure like this? It felt like… Like when she touched Kara’s hand for the first time, showing her the leviathan. 

A stark contrast to her constant bitterness and anger…

Happiness.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Lena again shoved the strange feeling down. She needed to focus. Focus on her footwork, and the woman who just asked her a question. 

“Because the wait was more than worth it.” 

Why was she saying these things? Of all the things she could be saying why was she _complimenting_ Kara? 

Was it because of how amazing the dress looked? How her eyes literally reflected the blue of the fabric beautifully? Or maybe it was how attractive Kara’s shoulders and neck looked with her hair up in such a clever design.

Lena could feel Kara’s hands tensing against her as they held her bicep and palm. A look of internal conflict passed over Kara’s face, and Lena knew exactly why; the woman who’s been nothing but horrible to her is suddenly being incredibly sweet.

She wants to take the compliments, but is too afraid that their might be a hidden trap. Lena doesn’t blame her. She’d mistrust everything she said, too, if she was in Kara’s shoes. 

A phantom wave of guilt passed over Lena, like a ghost of emotion.

“Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? Aren’t you still mad at me?” Kara asked in a low voice, audibly unsure if she should have asked that question or not.

It took Lena a second to realize what she was referring to; their fight the night before. She’d honestly forgotten all about it, having already buried the hurt and pain she felt that night deep inside of her. 

That’d been the moment Lena had started to realize she was starting to _actually_ feel again, but it scared her so much that she decided to completely ignore it. Same with now- with all the happiness, attraction, and guilt she was feeling.

Her jaw was reluctant to voice the words she wanted to say; She was wrong for cornering Kara like that. She was only trying to help her, yet the blood lust in Lena was so strong that it turned her gratitude into rage…

And fear.

Lena sighed heavily, eyes fluttering closed. “No, I’m not mad at you,” was all she could will herself to say. She refused to go into detail- refused to answer Kara’s first question. Talking was too dangerous, her mind too muddled with uncertainty with what was going on inside her body right now.

“Let’s just dance… No questions- no taunting… Just enjoy the music?” Lena opened her eyes back up again, turning her head slightly to see that Kara had been staring at her the entire time. Kara frowned questioningly, but eventually nodded in agreement.

Relief at being allowed to let her mind go blank rushed over Lena. She pulled Kara in closer, their chests pressing tightly together as her arm moved to hold Kara’s waist. She didn’t tense up or move away, instead relaxing enough to move her hand up just a bit to the back of Lena’s shoulder.

Despite the obvious questions that seemed to be burning at Kara’s mind, she kept her promise of staying silent. Lena couldn’t help but smile slightly in gratitude, eyes sliding shut once again. 

With the silence she could now focus on the music.

‘A Rose in Spanish Harlem’ by Nicholas Britell started to play right as Lena started to listen. It was a beautiful classical song that started off slow and quiet; a single cello played almost silently, repeating the same tune multiple times.

Then another cello joined in, playing a low, constant note that never wavered. It didn’t over power the first cello, instead adding to its volume. With every few beats another instrument joined in, the first cello getting louder and louder with its melody.

Finally, the entire quartet was playing, the music swelling to fill the entire room. Lena could feel Kara breathing in very slowly, the smallest shiver running down her back. 

The shiver seemed to transfer through Kara and up into Lena’s spine. Goosebumps erupted across her arms and neck. She silently thanking her past self for choosing to wear long sleeves tonight, hoping the woman in her arms didn’t notice the goosebumps.

Pulling her thoughts away from Kara for the hundredth time, Lena refocused on the music. Every single instrument in the band was playing a different tune, yet it somehow all mixed together into one beautiful song.

The music lasted for about three minutes before it slowly died out. Lena was content, however, still moving in a simple dance with Kara. She didn’t pull away either, instead seeming to relax completely. 

Even as another song started to start up, Kara remained in Lena’s arms.

They danced like that for countless songs; in simple, blank silence. Neither of them thought about anything other than the music. They seemed to forget their roles in life, instead just allowing themselves to enjoy each other’s warmth.

Lena was perfectly content to dance like this for the rest of the night, but when a tap on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks, she was brought roughly back to reality. Opening her eyes- which had been closed the entire time –Lena looked over her shoulder to see who’d interrupted them with an annoyed glare.

She recognized one of the builders standing awkwardly, looking incredibly nervous under her blazing stare. “Yes?” She practically growled, her annoyance growing with every second. “U-Uhm… We need you to come look at some things in the West Wing, ma’am… There’s been a complication.”

Kara started to step away, pushing back against Lena’s tightening arm on her waist. “This can’t wait till tomorrow?” Lena huffed, accepting her defeat against Kara as she dropped their hands and loosened her arm reluctantly.

The builder shook his head. “No, ma’am… We need to get this fixed before gravity takes half the roof down.” Despite Lena’s urge to say ‘fuck the roof’, she knew that her duties as the head decision maker were more important than her desire to feel Kara against her body.

“Fine… Sweetheart?” Lena turned to Kara with an annoyed twitched of her eyebrow. Her bitter mood compelled her to return to the nickname that clearly got Kara’s gears to grind the most. Kara’s brilliant blue eyes met Lena’s, only the slightest disgruntlement at the name flashing through them.

“Go ahead and find Sam… I have a feeling this ‘complication’ is going to take me the rest of the night to figure out… I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.” Kara glanced past Lena, to the builder, then back to Lena.

“Okay… Good luck.”

**********

Lena groaned loudly as she put her face into her hands, the sound echoing through her room. She’d been staring at numbers and words all night and day. It was so bad that Lena could swear she could read the pages with her eyes closed.

Standing, Lena loudly shut her book of records and moved to stand off of her balcony. The afternoon air was pleasant; not to warm, not to cold. There was a lovely breeze that ruffled through Lena’s loose raven hair, tickling the back of her neck as she stood right by the railing.

She was so focused on the feeling of the wind brushing against her face that she didn’t hear Kara open through the heavy wooden doors of her office. Nor did she hear her boot’s stepping against the stone flooring of the balcony towards her.

It wasn’t till Kara asked, “What are you doing?” That Lena snapped her eyes open. She jumped, yelping loudly as she flinched away from the broad figure next to her. Kara’s eyes opened wide in surprise, her own muscles tensing in shock.

“Jesus, Kara!” Lena cussed, ignoring the fluttering in her chest when she said her assistants name, running a hand through her hair. She blushed- despite there being nothing to warm her cheeks –embarrassed about the noise that had come from her mouth moments before. It didn’t help that Kara was very obviously trying to fight off an amused smile.

She resorted to crossing her arms and putting a hand ‘thoughtfully’ in front of her mouth. “Sorry,” Kara lamely apologized. Lena narrowed her eyes, tempted to find a way to wipe that hidden smirk off of her face.

Instead she just sighed, running another hand through her hair. “What do you need?” Lena quirked an eyebrow, watching Kara finally drop her hand away from her mouth. “Sam let me off early, so I figured I should come back to you.”

That’s right, she’d been helping Sam today. 

Kara was no longer specifically Lena’s servant anymore- if anything she wasn’t a servant at all. Over the past three months Kara’s duties switched from fetching Lena things whenever she needed, to actually studying under her and Sam as an apprentice to help with more important things around National City.

Kara seemed much happier with her change in position, visibly becoming more relaxed around Sam- less depressed and angry, for sure. Lena found herself happy that Kara was starting to feel better about being in National City, even if Kara still refused to fully engage with her.

It was clear she still hadn’t forgiven nor forgotten everything Lena had done to her- directly or not –the brand on her wrist reminding her every day how she still wasn’t ‘free’, even with all this freedom she’d been given.

Lena didn’t blame her for still disliking her; she _did_ kill her best friend and entire crew in front of her… It was unforgivable, even if Lena secretly longed to find a way right her wrongs.

Regardless of how she felt, this was the situation they were in now; Lena slowly starting to realize that the woman in front of her was making the impossible happen, and Kara standing firm in her hatred for her captor.

“Athena... Athena?... Are you okay?... Lena- are you there?”

The sound of her real name snapped Lena out of her thoughts. Her green eyes ripped away from the blank spot in the mountain she’d been staring at the look dead into Kara’s eyes. 

A rush of anger rolled through her, but upon seeing the flash of fear in Kara’s eyes at her rage, the emotion quickly dissipated into meager annoyance.

Lena clenched her jaw, tilting it up in an authoritative way. “I said not to call me that.” Her tone was rough, but left no sting. Kara, who’d been prepared to get slapped or physically hurt in some way, visibly relaxed her tensed shoulders.

“Well you weren’t answering the name you insist everyone calls you,” Kara retorted in a rather sassy tone.

Despite how much Lena wanted to come back with an even sassier reply, she couldn’t deny that Kara was right- she had tried her chosen name multiple times. “…Fine, whatever.”

The look of amusement at winning the banter in Kara’s eyes was almost amusing. “So what would you like me to do?” Kara repeated her question from earlier, moving to lean her hip on the balcony banister. Lena thought for a moment, trying to figure out what Kara could do for the rest of the day.

Honestly, nothing was coming to her mind. If anything she was just about to call work off for the day, considering how much of a headache it was giving her. Lena was just about to let Kara free for the rest of the day when suddenly an idea jumped into her head.

“Do you want to see something cool?” Lena’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked up at her assistant. Kara looked taken aback by the question, but very carefully nodded regardless. “Good; go grab some spare cloths, and meet me down at the stables.”

The look of confusion deepened in Kara’s eyes, but she complied, slowly walking out of the room with a questioning tilt to her head. Lena watched her leave, waiting for the door to close before she hurried to her chests of clothing.

Grabbing a simple front-lace top, high-wasted pants, and fresh undergarments Lena excitedly shoved them all into a knapsack. She wrapped the top of the sack around her fist a few times before starting to make her way downstairs.

Lena ran into Sam as she practically ran through the hallways, Sam stopping her with an amused, “Where are you going that’s making you look like a child who’s about to get sweets?” Lena slowed her pace, but didn’t stop walking completely, instead turning around to walk backwards as she spoke to Sam.

“I’m going to take Kara to the waterfalls,” Lena explained simply. Sam’s eyebrows shot up upon hearing this, clearly surprised. “Really?... But you _never_ take anyone there.” That was true; the waterfalls were Lena’s sacred spot. 

The only other person who’s been there has been Sam, and that’s because she sneakily followed Lena one day. Not even Victoria had been invited to the waterfalls when Lena had first found them. _That’s_ how sacred they were.

Lena just gave a small shrug to Sam’s surprised words, turning back around to walk forward again. “Uh. Have fun then?” Was the last thing Lena heard before she pushed through the doors that led to the stable courtyard.

Kara had yet to show up at the stables, so Lena decided to get a head start on saddling Outlaw. Her stallion swung his head up and down as he saw her, snorting his greeting. Lena hummed gently in her own greeting, going up to pet his snout affectionately.

Setting her bag down, she took Outlaw out of his stall and started to give him a quick brush down before throwing his saddle pad over his massive back. Lena had just come out of the tack room with her deep red saddle when Kara appeared in the doorway of the barn.

“What took you so long?” Lena asked with a quirked eyebrow, but there was no aggression in her tone. “You didn’t tell me what type of clothes I should bring, so… What are we doing, Athena?” Kara walked further into the stables, stopping to watch Lena toss her saddle onto Outlaw.

Lena turned to grin at Kara, unfamiliar excitement buzzing through her skin. “You’ll see- and any type will do. It’s just to change into for later.” The simple explanation only seemed to confused Kara more. Her eyebrows furrowed at Lena, but the pirate captain refused to give any more detail.

After Lena saddled Outlaw and pulled him out of the way, Kara saddled her mare. Lena had to admit that she’d gotten very proficient in taking care of Asher, able to saddle her in under ten minutes with very little effort.

Once both mounts were ready, Lena guided them out of the stables and into the city. Kara was silent as she rode next to Lena, obviously trying to work out where they were going by the roads they were taking.

They rode through the entire city, then they eventually _left_ the city. Lena gave a curt nod to one of the guards that opened the door, calling down that they’d be back after sunset. This made Kara turn to her sharply, the questioning look that never left her face deepening.

“You’ll understand soon, Sweetheart,” Lena hummed in sly amusement. Kara frowned at her teasing tone, turning to look at the wilderness around her. She’d been outside of the city only once since Lena had taken her captive, and even then it was only to look at some weather damage on the outside wall.

Lena led her quizzical assistant out into the moors, turning east down a path that only the trained eye could see. The weather was still a perfect warm temperature, a light breeze rustling through Lena’s hair as she scanned around them.

She took in a deep inhale, grinning wide at the fresh scent of the grass. The castle could get so stuffy sometimes, and it made Lena long to be out on sea with a rocking boat beneath her feet. Unfortunately, she couldn’t go back to sea for another few months.

Repairs on the Devil’s Heart and the rest of her fleet were taking much longer than planned, setting her schedule back by multiple months. 

Lena had to admit that Kara was quite a formidable foe on the water, considering The Oryx alone managed to do an incredible amount of damage in their fight all those months ago.

The farther out into the moors the two women got, the closer the forest surrounding the foot of the eastern mountains became. 

Kara quickly figured out that they were heading into the trees as soon as she saw the tops of them in the horizon.

She glanced to Lena, then back to the trees. “So what did I do?” She asked, her face stoically blank. Lena turned at the sudden words that broke their comfortable silence, arching her eyebrow. “What?” She had no idea what Kara was referring to.

“You’re taking me to the woods- I assume to kill or punish me for something… So what did I do?” Her face remained emotionless, but her blue eyes flashed with a mixture of fear and anger. 

Lena’s arched eyebrow only rose higher, her mouth parting slightly as multiple trains of thought spiraled through her mind.

“Why the hell would I take you to the woods to kill you?!” Lena was slightly insulted that Kara would think she’d drag her out into the wilderness like an injured horse to put her down. Kara shrugged, adverting her eyes. “I stopped questioning your motives long ago.”

Lena had to ignore the comment- there was too many sentences and questions running through her head to grab onto the backhanded words –instead focusing on easing Kara’s fears. “I’m not doing anything to punish you! You’ve been nothing but amazing these past couple of months.”

Maybe she was going too far with the compliment, but if it meant helping Kara relax so she could _enjoy_ this mid-day trip then it’d be worth Lena having to ignore her dignity for a few minutes.

Kara’s head turned at the kind words, clear disbelief on her face. “Hang on- what did you just say?!” 

Lena refused to repeat her words, her pride making her bite her tongue.

“That’s not the point… The point is that you seriously thought I’d take you out to the woods and hurt you?! What do you people do on the mainland that made your mind jump to that?”

Kara frowned at her question not being answered, but she seemed to decide to ignore Lena’s deflecting as usual. “I just… I don’t know… You’re not normally this nice, so I thought something was going to go wrong…”

She did have a point… Normally Lena would hardly talk to Kara, letting her sit in silence whenever they were together. She’d given no signs of how much she’s actually warmed up to Kara in these past few weeks.

“I’m way past trying to kill you, Kara… I was just bored today, and figured you could use some time way from the city.” Lena held her gaze steady as Kara turned to look at her again, refusing to look away even if her brain was screaming at her to.

For a long moment Kara just stared at her, a skeptical look on her face. She seemed to take Lena’s words with a grain of salt- which Lena didn’t blame her for.

She _had_ changed her mind a lot recently, so her words weren’t very reliable currently… She silently decided to work on fixing that, desiring for Kara to be able to trust her.

“Okay… If you say so.” Kara went silent, finally turning her gaze away. Lena let the silence continue, returning her focus on leading them through the woods they were about to come upon.

Outlaw took the lead on the narrow path, Asher easily falling behind. ‘Path’ was a very generous word for what Lena was leading them down, considering it was very over grown with underbrush and low hanging tree limbs. Lena had to duck under and hold back multiple branches as they walked, trying to not get a face full of leaves.

It took almost an hour before Lena was able to hear the rushing water she’d been listening for the entire ride through the forest. 

Once again her excitement started to flutter through her, urging her to kick Outlaw into a brisk trot.

Kara made a noise of surprise behind her, realizing Lena was about to leave her behind, kicking Asher to move faster. 

“Come on! We’re almost there,” Lena called over her shoulder. She ducked under one last branch before the woods broke away to show exactly what she was looking for.

Pale blue water shimmered brightly as the sunlight cascaded through the leaves of the forest in glowing streaks. The river was lined with thin foliage that sprouted between large boulders. 

A waterfall crashed down into a decently sized pool before the water leaked out through a narrow, shallow river that had multiple tiny rapids farther down. It had a very slow current, perfect for swimming in.

Lena gazed at one of her favorite places on the island, her smile so wide it hurt her cheeks. She pulled Outlaw to a stop just on the bank of the river, turning to see her assistant stopping Asher right next to them. Kara’s eyes were studying the beautiful scene before them, a look of awe on her face.

She turned to look at Lena, her eyes dazzlingly bright with the same excitement Lena felt warming her entire chest. “Here, let me show you something,” Lena spoke over the low rumble of the waterfall. She jumped off of Outlaw, removing his halter so he could freely nibble at the bushes around the rapids.

Following Lena’s lead, Kara also let Asher free. Lena also took off her boots and socks, tossing them carelessly to the side as she rolled up her tight pants to about mid-calf. “Follow me,” she instructed after Kara hesitantly did the same.

Crossing through the shallowest part of the river- the water just the right temperature –Lena guided Kara up the steep rocky hill just next to the waterfall. It was maybe a ten-foot scramble, the rocks a good handhold as they basically climbed on their hands and knees.

Once at the top of the hill, Lena had Kara stand on the edge of the bank just where the waterfall dropped down into the small lake below them. “Can you see above the trees?” Lena asked, standing close in back of Kara to point out the tree’s horizon.

Kara stared over the forest, looking at the beautiful blue sky that matched her eyes, and the moors that seemed miles away. “That’s beautiful,” Kara whispered under her breath. Lena hummed in agreement, her wide smile never leaving her face.

“Yeah, it’s why this is my favorite place to go when I’m stressed or upset… I’ve never brought anyone here.” Lena’s comment had been so off handed that she wasn’t even really thinking of what she was saying. It was only when Kara turned her head to give her a quizzical look that she processed what she said.

“Then why did you bring me?” Kara’s voice was hesitant, cautious even.

In all honesty Lena couldn’t answer the question; she felt safe bringing Kara to her secret spot, but that’s all she could really make out in her head.

So, instead of answering Kara’s questions, Lena followed her instincts and deflected. “You ask a lot of question’s, have I ever told you that?” 

Before Kara could even respond, Lena grabbed her waist and turned her so they were fully facing each other.

Surprise washed over Kara as she tried to figure out what was going on as Lena moved into her personal bubble. “But it’s kinda cute,” Lena whispered teasingly, smirking at the gay panic on Kara’s face.

Then, without warning, Lena shoved her backwards.

Kara yelped, falling past the waterfall and straight into the pool ten-feet below. Lena moved to look over the edge, staring at the rippling body of water as she watched her assistant surface, gasping for air as she threw her soaking hair out of her face.

Still treading water, Kara turned to look up at Lena with unconvincing irritation. “What the fuck?!” Kara yelled up to her, failing to fight off the small smile that pulled at her pink lips. Lena laughed, the sound coming deep from her chest.

Wordlessly she backed up a few feet, getting a running start to leap off of the waterfall edge. She plunged into the cool water, sinking multiple feet before she started to swim up to the surface. Wiping her hair back as she breached, Lena continued to smile wide as she turned to find where Kara was.

She was watching her with an adorably amused look, laughing lightly through her smile. “You’re soaking wet now,” Kara pointed out. “We both are,” Lena chuckled with a shrug. She started to swim backwards, pushing towards the shallow river.

Walking back over to where she’d kicked off her boots, Lena started to strip out of her dark shirt and pants without a second thought. Tossing them over a low tree branch, Lena turned to see that Kara was staring at her- now half naked -from the pool with wide eyes.

A flash of anxiety rushed through Lena, suddenly doubting her confidence as Kara stared at her. She tried to fight down the deep red blush that threatened to erupt across her cheeks. “What?” Lena asked, her voice falsely confident.

“You’re uhm… I’ve never seen you… Why did you take off your clothes?” Kara’s voice was an octave higher than normal, her flustered expression making Lena relax, realizing she wasn’t judging her with her stares. “Because it’s easier to swim without them?... Why don’t you do the same?”

Lena smirked, quirking her eyebrow as she watched Kara practically forget to keep treading water in her flustered state. “Uhm. No- uh… I… I’d rather not.” She suddenly adverted her eyes, turning away as her face got even more red.

The frazzled expression on Kara’s face only pushed Lena to tease even more mercilessly. “Oh? Why not?” Lena’s voice was flirty as she started to walk forwards, returning to the river to slowly enter the pool again… She may or may not have added a little extra sway to her hips to really drive it home.

Kara swallowed hard, still refusing to fully look as Lena as she re-entered the pool. “I’m just not comfortable,” was the only answer she could think of, apparently. Lena scoffed at the obvious lie.

Her mischievous side pushed her to go further; see what boundaries she could poke at before Kara made her stop. Lena swam over to her, once again getting into her personal space. She reached over and grabbed the hem of Kara’s slightly floating shirt, lifting it up only an inch.

Kara audible gasped, her eyes snapping to look at Lena’s flirtatious look. “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?” She spoke low and slow, adding a sly smile to really drive it home. Kara gently grabbed her wrists as she stared in flustered shock at The woman in front of her.

“L-Lena, I… I don’t… Uh…” She trailed off, her lips slightly parted as her eyes searched all over Lena’s face. Her breathing had picked up in such an adorable way that Lena honestly didn’t care that Kara used the wrong name.

Suddenly her frazzled expression became confused as those beautiful blue eyes forcibly held still as she looked into Lena’s eyes. “What are you doing?” Kara managed to whisper, her voice so quiet Lena almost didn’t hear it over the sound of the waterfall right next to them.

Lena raised an eyebrow at the random question. Wasn’t it obvious? “I’m trying to get you to undress?” She answered in a quizzical tone. “No- I get that, but why?” Lena sighed at the question, having figured Kara was going to question her no matter what she did.

“Because it’s boring being the only one half naked?” Lena tilted her head, hoping that Kara would just accept that as an adequate answer. It only made the blonde frown, the crease between her eyebrows appearing as they furrowed.

Kara visibly contemplated Lena, her face deep in thought. “That’s it?... You’re not going to try anything, right?” Suddenly Lena’s hands were off of Kara. She’d poked enough at the boundary, not wanting to damage it or this sort of neutral relationship they were starting to form.

“What? No- Kara, I’d never do anything to you like that… I-… I’ve already hurt you enough…” Lena pushed herself away from Kara, frowning. 

There was an unnervingly long pause where Kara just stared at Lena, studying her. She was probably trying to see if she was being genuine or not. Lena’s eyebrows twitched as those alluring blue eyes searched her face at an agonizingly slow pace.

Her lips parted for a moment, trying to think of how to word what she wanted to say. “…If I do what you ask, can I ask you to do something in return?” 

It was a fair request, so Lena saw no reason not to nod in agreement.

Kara took in a deep breath at Lena’s approval, her eyes finally looking away from her face, back towards where the horses grazed. 

Using powerful arms, Kara swam around Lena, carefully getting out of the pool.

Shocked that Kara actually agreed, Lena moved towards the shallows of the pool, standing on the rocky bottom as she watched Kara, silently wondering what her request would be. 

Although she didn’t wonder for long, her mind quickly going blank as she watched Kara start to peel her soaked shirt off.

To say Kara was toned was an understatement. The muscles in her back rippled powerfully under her skin, visibly shifting as she lifted her arms to pull her shirt completely off. Next her pants were rolled off, bending slightly at the waste to pull them down from around her feet.

When Kara turned, Lena found that the tables had been completely turned. 

She stared at Kara’s abs, biceps, and thighs with a deep red blush creeping across her entire face. Kara visibly paused as she turned to walk back into the water, a look of confusion at Lena’s staring washing over her face.

Lena had to remind herself to blink as she quickly tore her eyes away from Kara’s flexing abdomen, looking down at the water she stood in. “So what’s your request, then? I assume you have more questions you want me to answer or something.”

Kara didn’t reply until she was in the water, standing with Lena where the pool reached just under her belly button. “No,” Kara replied simply. Lena raised her eyebrow, all her ideas thrown out the window with that single word. “Then what do you want?”

Blue eyes looked straight down at Lena’s chest, and for a split second she thought Kara was going to say something completely different from what she actually said. 

“I want to touch your scar.” 

Lena blinked, looking down to see where Kara was staring. “My scar?... Oh.”

It’d been so long since Lena had acknowledged her disfigurement that she almost forgot about it. Lena had always made sure that her chest was covered at all times, so that neither her nor anyone around her could notice the jagged pale tissue that raised thickly above the rest of her skin.

Lena honestly didn’t even think about the scar when she had pulled her shirt off, too focused on messing with Kara to remember that she had something to hide.

At first she wanted to go against her word and call off the bet, but that went against her promise to herself to start being more truthful to Kara.

“…Okay,” Lena eventually mumbled. She looked back up from the blemish that went from an inch above her breast to well below her sternum.

A flash of surprise at Lena’s compliance flashed through Kara’s face before her curiosity took back over.

Long, strong fingers slowly reached forward, stretched out tentatively. It was like Kara was afraid she was going to get bit by a dog or something as she reached towards Lena. 

That heavy thumping in Lena’s chest returned as she watched Kara’s hand get closer and closer. The last time she’d felt that thumping was when she first saw Kara at the ball in the dress that made her look like some sort of celestial being.

At first Lena didn’t feel Kara’s fingertips as they brushed just next to the top of the scar. Her touch was so feather light- so testing. Then she pressed forward a little more firmly. Lena could feel the pressure, then the texture of Kara’s calloused hands.

She was gentle, still having not actually touched the scar tissue. Kara slid her fingers against Lena’s wet skin, moving down till the tips finally brushed against the scar where it curved onto her sternum.

It felt as if someone shocked Lena with static, her muscles tensing as she gasped at the sensation. Kara flinched backwards slightly, eyes widening in surprise. “It’s fine- I’m fine,” Lena quickly said, glancing up at her assistants face.

Kara frowned slightly, but she slowly moved her hand back to brush against the scar.

Again the electric shock snapped against Lena’s skin, but this time it was much less jarring. She clenched her jaw as she watched Kara get more confident in her touching. Her fingers slowly ran from the top of the scar all the way to the bottom.

Lena’s stomach fluttered at the sensation, the thumping in her chest picking up again as Kara moved her fingers back up.

“I can see why you hate Victoria so much,” Kara broke the silence, mumbling so quietly that it was basically a whisper.

“Did it really take you this long to understand?” Lena chuckled low, finding her assistants comment slightly amusing. Kara glanced up at her face. 

“No, I know she wronged you I just… I just never processed the extent of what she did to you…” 

There was _pity_ in Kara’s voice.

Lena was just about to tell Kara to stop, moving to reach up and push Kara’s fingers away when suddenly Kara pressed forward. Her entire palm pressed directly over where the Lena’s heart should have been, her skin rough against the captain’s chest.

Both women gasped simultaneously as Lena’s hand shot up to grab Kara’s wrist, but didn’t move to pull it away. Instead, it seemed to encourage Kara to move closer. So close, in fact, that her forehead almost bumped against Lena’s.

“Can you feel it?” Kara whispered in a slightly breathless tone. “Your hand? Yeah,” Lena mumbled, her fingers tightening around Kara’s wrist. “No,” Kara looked up from Lena’s chest, blue eyes clashing with green.

“Your heart… I can feel your heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you guys think Lena's catching feelings too fast- I was thinking of making this a one-sided love story for a little bit, but if you guys think that'll ruin it then I'll make Lena grumpy again.
> 
> Till next time,  
> -Aries
> 
> p.s. I was originally gonna add some smut to the waterfall scene (Some good ol hate sex), but decided not to... Would anyone be interested in me posting an alternative scene separately from this book?


	9. Book of Spells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena, in an attempt to right her wrongs towards Kara, promises to tell her anything she wants to know.

At first Kara couldn’t understand that subtle sensation under her fingertips. It felt like a whisper against her skin- A testing hint of what was there.

It wasn’t until Kara dared to place her entire palm against Lena’s chest that she had felt the sure sign of a heart inside. It was thundering against her ribcage like a heard of wild horses.

There was no denying the vibrations against Kara’s palm, her own heart fluttering at the sensation.

“Your heart… I can feel your heart.”

The instant Kara said those words she knew she was going to regret it. 

The look of pure fear on Lena’s features as she stared at Kara; her eyes were wide, emerald green shining dangerously. At first Kara thought she was going to smack her.

Instead, it felt as if a cold, wet snake wrapped around her from behind. One moment Kara standing in the river, the next she was submerged in the pool, having been ripped away from Lena by some magical force.

It didn’t take Kara long to piece together that Lena had used her powers to distance them, her fear having taken over.

Kara was dragged down only two feet or so below the surface of the water before the pressure around her was suddenly gone. Moving as fast as she could, Kara swam to the surface just in time to see Lena yanking on her pants, having already grabbed her shirt and boots from the bank of the river.

“Lena- wait!” Kara called out, splashing through the water to try and detain the woman who was now running from her.

But Lena wasn’t listening. She didn’t even put her boots or shirt on, jumping onto Outlaw barefoot as she kicked the un-haltered horse into a gallop. Kara cussed loudly, just reaching the bank of the river.

She raced to put on her own clothing, foregoing her own boots and Asher’s halter as she prayed her mare could read her mind as to where they needed to go. Thankfully Asher seemed to understand, rearing slightly before booking it after the fleeing stallion.

Kara ducked low onto Asher’s back, dodging branches that snagged in her hair and smacked at her sides. Lena was a black blur multiple hundred yards ahead of her. Luckily Asher was able to follow the sound of her fellow mount, following them with ease-

-Almost…

There was a fallen log that Kara wasn’t paying attention to, so she hadn’t been prepared for Asher to jump. With no proper footwear, and no reigns to hold onto, she felt herself lift from the saddle. Kara caught just enough air to reach a low hanging branch.

Luckily her face didn’t smack into the branch, but her ribcage did, her arms too busy flailing to stop herself from smashing through the sturdy limb. All the air was knocked out of Kara as she fell multiple feet to the ground, landing on the log that Asher had jumped over.

It felt as if her back had broken when she hit the wood, feeling it splinter under her spine painfully. Kara gasped in a mixture of pain and need of air, her lungs screaming along with her ribs and spine. She soundlessly rolled onto her side enough to push herself off of the log, tears streaming down her face.

For multiple minutes Kara just knelt in a ball, holding her bruised ribs in her arms as she hugged herself. She could vaguely process the snorting and heavy breathing of Asher somewhere close, but she couldn’t will herself to look around.

Eventually, after at least twenty minutes, Kara was able to slowly will herself to sit up. Her back was still screaming in pain, and her ribs stretched sorely, but she managed to lift her head and torso up. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, sniffing pitifully as she tried to get her bearings.

Lena was long gone, not even the leaves of the trees and bushes shaking from her speedy departure. Asher patiently waited, watching Kara with a blank stare and perked ears. Kara couldn’t blame the horse- it wasn’t her fault Kara fell from the saddle –but she wasn’t exactly happy either.

Slowly standing, Kara grabbed Asher’s bridle that had been hooked onto the horn of the saddle, and started to re-equip her horse. With the bit and reins safely on Asher, Kara was confident enough to get back on her back. 

Unfortunately, instead of heading in the general direction of where she thought Lena went, Kara had to turn back around… Her boots were still on the river bank with her bag of spare clothing.

The ride was bitter and full of Kara cussing quietly at both herself for blurting out something like she did, and at Lena for reacting so poorly. Did she seriously use her powers on Kara?! It could have been much worse, honestly, but it was still upsetting.

Returning to the river, Kara put her boots back on, grabbing her bag and Lena’s. She figured Asher could find her way home, so she let the reigns go loose, kicking her into a slow walk. Asher obeyed, lazily walking in the direction Kara vaguely recognized as the one they originally came from.

With the slow pace she was able to investigate her injuries. Lifting her shirt, Kara could see the raw- slightly bleeding –flesh in a horizontal bar right under her breasts. Deep purple bruises were already blossoming from the impact-site, throbbing painfully.

Feeling along her sides, Kara was satisfied to see that none of her ribs seemed to be broken. She also felt her back, feeling that same raw wound along the entire center of her back, but there seemed to be no spinal damage either.

Satisfied that nothing but her dignity was broken, Kara let herself relax a little. Although her frustration made it hard to fully calm down.

Lena had run away as if she’d been caught with her hand in the damn cookie jar. Her lack of trust in Kara’s reaction angered her; had she not proven herself trust worthy?! She’d been faithful for months now, and this was the thanks she got?

Everything had been going so well, too… Lena had taken her to a sacred place- made her feel like an actual friend instead of a stranger that sat in her library who she refused to acknowledge. Kara had been having _fun_ , even with all the teasing Lena insisted on doing.

Clenching her jaw, Kara sighed heavily, Asher’s ears twitching back to listen to her displeasure for a moment.

It took considerably longer for Kara to find her way back to National City. Asher took her all the way to the moors, but as soon as they broke through the line of trees she seemed more interested in the sweet grass and moss that was now visible without the cover of leaves.

Begrudgingly Kara picked up the reins and started to steer, trying to remember the way Lena had taken her, but in reverse. At one point, however, Kara spotted deep hoof prints that could only be Outlaw’s. It looked like Lena had him galloping even after she left the woods.

Following the prints, the sun started to get incredibly low on the horizon until eventually it disappeared altogether. As the sun dropped so did the temperature. By the time Kara was able to see the firelight of National City she could also see her breath.

Not having packed for such cold weather, Kara was shivering like a leaf in the wind as she reached the gates of the city. A guardsman from the top of the gate looked down at her. He asked for her name, but upon recognizing her face called down for the gates to be opened.

Finally on the final stretch of the road home, Kara kicked Asher into a canter despite the fact that each impact against the cobblestone road vibrated painfully through her bruised body. With the faster pace Kara was able to reach the stables quickly, trotting straight into the building.

Unsaddling Asher as fast as possible, Kara glanced through all the stalls to see that Outlaw had also been put up. So Lena was back. Good; that meant Kara could find her and confront her about leaving. The frustration she’d been trying to keep at bay was starting to boil over into actual anger over the entire situation.

Storming into the castle, the first place Kara went was up to Lena’s room. She shouldered the doors open, just about to automatically start reprimanding the woman who left her when she realized the room was completely empty. No candles were lit, and no one was sitting at that massive mahogany desk.

So if Lena wasn’t in the only place she seems to ever be, where was she? The only other place Kara could think of was the banquet hall, where there was a feast every night. Kara entered through the two main doors, shoulders tensed as her eyes scanned automatically around the room.

The only familiar face she could see was Sam’s, who was looking at her with an obviously confused gaze. Kara stalked up to the front table, her blue eyes blazing with the anger she struggled to hold back. “Where is she?” Kara practically growled.

Sam looked bewildered, tilting her head. “Where’s who?” She stood to meet Kara’s eye level, her own brown eyes soft as she recognized the anger in Kara’s. “Is everything okay? Did Athena take you to the waterfall?”

“Yeah, and then she left me there,” Kara crossed her arms over her chest, fists clenching. Sam’s eyebrows shot up to her hairline. “What?! Why the hell did she leave you?” Kara’s first thought was to tell her exactly what happened, but something stopped her.

If Lena ran away like that, because she was so afraid of her own heart, then it probably meant she didn’t want other people finding out about this new secret. Despite all of Kara’s anger and frustration, she decided to honor her silent promise to Lena not to tell anyone.

“I don’t know; we were just enjoying the water when all of a sudden something I said spooked her.” Technically it wasn’t a lie. She _had_ been enjoying herself, but then as soon as she said Lena had a heart she ran off.

Sam frowned- she didn’t show any signs of whether or not she believed Kara –opening her mouth to question more. Kara spoke before she could, “I’m just going to go find her, see what that was all about…” She walked off, taking the side exit out of the banquet hall.

The problem was, she had no idea where Lena could possibly be. The only place she had guessed was Lena’s room, but otherwise she had no idea. Kara tried to look around some other possible rooms, walking all over the dark castle as she searched.

She was just about to give up and go to her room when she passed by those two massive metal and oak doors. At first Kara thought nothing of them, having glazed over them so many times before in the past few months.

What caught her attention was the fact that one of them was _open_. Not completely, but enough for someone to have been able to slip into the West Wing. Kara stared at the door for a moment before deciding to follow her gut.

The instant she slipped into the West Wing, it was like entering a completely different castle. The main section of the fortress always had some sort of candle light every few hundred feet, bathing the halls in a warm light.

This part of the palace, however, was only lit by moonlight that peered through holes in the ceiling in pale blue streaks. Kara had half a mind to just turn back around and leave her investigation alone, but both curiosity and intuition drove her to start walking forward.

It was eerily quiet, the only noise that of Kara’s breathing and hollow boot-steps. Everything was covered in dust, particles shining through the moonlight that streaked through the entire West Wing. There were multiple broken and dilapidated doors that lined the walls, but as Kara tried a few she quickly realized they were all rusted shut or too broken to open.

The only rooms that seemed to be actually open completely taken over by moss and foliage. Kara sighed, continuing on as her frustration started to buzz in her chest all over again. She was tired, and in pain from her fall. All she wanted to do was go to bed.

But her silent worry for Lena, and the need to figure out what the _hell_ was going on with her made it so Kara couldn’t stop looking until she was absolutely certain she couldn’t find the mysterious woman she’d grown vaguely attached to.

Kara searched some more, testing a few doors but not getting anywhere easily. There looked to be a few parts of the West Wing that had been worked on or fixed, but the progress seemed slow. Kara was so busy looking up at some of the roof repairs that she almost didn’t notice the hallway that branched off of the main hall.

She froze, backtracking a few steps to look down the hallway. It was completely empty- no doors along the side, no windows, no moldy decorations –save for one singular door at the very end of the hallway. A large padlock was on the floor in front of it, the heavy wooden door ajar enough to show vague candle light coming through.

Kara was moving towards the door before she could even process what she was doing. Stepping over the large lock, Kara pushed the door open completely, half expecting to see that beautiful raven hair that always captured her attention.

But the incredibly room was void of any life. Instead, there only seemed to be some chests in the dark room, along with a table a few hundred feet away from the door. The only thing that made it so Kara didn’t turn right around and leave the room was the fact that there was a freshly lit candle sitting on the table.

Right next to the candle was a massive, worn out book. It looked to be incredibly old, the pages already flaking and yellowing. Kara moved closer, looking down at the mysterious object. It was hand written, with images and strange symbols on the pages.

Kara bookmarked the open page with her hand, thumbing through some of the other pages. Most of what she was reading didn’t make any sense, a complete jumble of items and specific directions. It was like some weird demonic recipe.

Taking the front of the book, Kara tilted it up to peer at the cover. There was no title, no indication to if the book even had a name. The only thing that was on the worn black leather cover was some sort of faded silver paint that depicted a landscape scene with countless animals- they were all simple skeletons, as if they never had any flesh or life inside of them –all of the creatures staring at the observer.

The cover gave Kara a sinking feeling in her stomach as she set the book down again. Looking at the page that had been opened, Kara tried to see if she couldn’t make out what the words were trying to tell her.

The only reason Kara was even able to make out what this section of the book was- was because of the pictures drawn around the border of the page. Sea creatures Kara had never even heard of or seen swam around the paragraphs, a Leviathan at the top edge of the page peering at Kara.

It suddenly struck her that the book she was looking at was a book for witches. The spell that was flipped open seemed to be the curse that had been placed upon Lena. Kara flipped to the beginning of the spell, seeing the name of it written in swirling Latin.

_”Ingeniosa gula, Carnifex est acquisitiva Animae Seu”_

Kara stared at the words for a long moment, trying to remember her school days when she was forced to learn Latin. She could recognize some of the words, squinting at them as she stared. The first word seemed to be “Gluttony”, the second “Executioner”, and the very last word was “Soul”.

That was all she could really get through, recognizing that she was missing the middle part of the name. So instead, Kara decided to see if she couldn’t make out the curse and see if that told her anything. For the most part she was able to figure it out, recognizing the start of the spell.

It spoke about the caster needing a sacrifice- the heart of a greedy human –and it had to be done on a specific type of moon during a specific week of a specific month. Everything was _very_ specific about when this spell needed to be done.

The book droned on about certain things that Kara couldn’t make sense of, but as she got further down she recognized some more of the information. The caster of the spell- if it was completed properly –would get every single wish of theirs to come true. They’d become the equivalent of a god, able to gift themselves with eternal power.

However, if the spell was done _incorrectly_ , the curse wouldn’t take its full effect. The caster would still get their wish of power granted, but in the mortal sense of it. Kara could only assume that meant becoming a ruler of a kingdom, much like what Victoria did.

But there was more to the spell, if casted incorrectly; the sacrifice would return as a demon- or god –of sorts. They’d be given the job of Gluttony. It was their ‘destiny’ to find their creator and take back the greed and power they took from the world. To kill those who’d taken too much from life.

Kara looked back at the title of the spell, her eyes suddenly making sense of the name.

_”Gluttony, Executioner of the Acquisitive Soul”_

It all made sense; Lena’s blood lust- she killed Callum for becoming jealous of her lack of attention, attempting to kill the one who’d stolen his affection. Her seemingly greedy ways, despite the fact that she stole to give the free people a new life. Her engulfing hatred of Victoria, and the insatiable desire to find her and kill her

…It was all put in her ‘destiny’ because of the curse.

So did that mean Lena had gotten her powers because the curse was giving her the right to rule the waters? Or was it because the curse worked two ways? It gave Victoria her love of power, but it also gave Lena her love of the sea.

Kara started to flip through the pages some more, seeing if the spell also included instructions on how to break it. She’d just gotten to the last paragraph when suddenly she heard movement behind her.

Spinning around, Kara made eye contact with Lena, both of them gasping in surprise at seeing the other. Kara was so surprised that she didn’t notice that Lena had the front of her grey shirt ripped almost completely down the front, and she seemed to be holding a cloth to her chest.

Lena’s surprise turned to suspicion as she glanced back behind Kara at the table. Her eyes grew cold, obvious anger in them. “What do you think you’re doing?” Lena hissed, quickly moving forward to walk around Kara and grab the spell book.

The sudden reminder of why exactly Kara had been looking around in the West Wing hit her with a wave of her own anger. She shot her hand out, grabbing Lena roughly by the bicep as she past, yanking her in close.

Gasping, Lena dropped the cloth she was holding, but neither woman paid it any mind. “You left me,” Kara growled through clenched teeth, looking down at Lena. She noticed a flash of fear in her eyes, but her face remained stoically irritated.

“You shouldn’t be in here- how much did you read?” Lena’s evasive reply only angered Kara more. She shoved Lena away, aggressively walking towards her. “You left me! What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

Lena stumbled a few steps backwards, but upon seeing the enraged Kara moving towards her she instinctively started to move her hand. 

It wasn’t a subtle gesture like she did back at the waterfall, this time much more noticeable as she twisted at her wrist, reaching back towards a tangle of moss and vines that hung from a high window.

In a flash they were drained of all water, the liquid shooting past Lena as she threw it like she was rolling some dice. The water hit Kara directly in the face with enough force to make her lurch her head backwards, tripping over her own feet so that she fell down, but it didn’t harm her in any way.

Kara landed on her back, coughing out the water that went up her nose. She rolled onto her side, turning to look at Lena like a bull would look at a matador. Realizing she fucked up, only making Kara angrier, Lena started to back up quickly.

In one swift movement Kara was up on her feet again, rushing towards Lena. She wrapped both hands around her neck, Lena gasping while Kara shoved her against the wall she was already almost pressed against. The back of her head seemed to hit the stone, her eyes unfocused in a daze for a moment.

“Stop using your fucking powers on me, Lena!” Kara yelled in her face, her fingers subconsciously tightening. Lena’s eyes refocused onto the woman pinning her against the wall. Her own hands gripped at the ones around her throat, tapping against Kara’s wrist to try to get her to let go.

Even with the threat injury, Lena did as she was asked. She didn’t use her powers, simply staring at Kara with tears of fear in her eyes. The look of terror is what made Kara relax her hands, using them to only pin Lena instead of choke her.

Lena gasped for air, the hands gripped around Kara’s wrists relaxing as well. “I- I know I left, and I should have turned back when I realized you weren’t following… I was scared, I don’t know what’s going on!” Lena was breathing heavily, staring Kara in the eyes.

The admittance of guilt still didn’t make Kara feel any better. The way Lena had treated her today reminded Kara exactly who she was on this island- a prisoner.

Clenching her jaw, Kara roughly let Lena go, backing up to glare at her. “I’m scared, too! I’ve been stolen away from my life, watched my best friend get murdered along with my entire crew, then taken to some strange island where you continue to fuck me over!”

Now Kara was pacing, her hands moving wildly as she spoke. “The only thing fucking keeping me here is this fucking _brand_!” She gestured to the ‘P’ on her wrist that she kept covered with a strip of cloth at all times, hatred for the mark searing through her blood.

“I’m sorry!”

The apology made Kara freeze, turning to look at Lena. She was…

Crying.

True tears of sorrow and guilt were pouring down her cheeks as she stared at Kara. “I’m sorry for everything- for killing your friend, for sinking your ship and your crew, for dragging you here… If I could take it all back, or do something to fix what I’ve done to you I would!”

Kara stared, open mouthed. She hadn’t expected Lena to actually admit her wrong doings. She showed her regret openly, her emotions plain as day on her face.

“I know you hate me, and I understand why, but I’m not trying to hurt you anymore, Kara! I’m trying to fix the things I’ve done to you… If I could bring him back… If I could take that mark off your body I _would_ , but I can’t…” Lena’s eyes darted around Kara’s face.

“Apologies won’t fix anything, and I know that, but… It’s all I can think of doing right now,” Lena admitted, her eyes dropping, “If you have a better idea I’m all ears, because I…” She suddenly trailed off, a flash of fear in her eyes.

She was right, an apology wasn’t going to bring back Winn and return Kara to her home, but… Hearing and seeing the guilt and regret on Lena’s face was at least one step closer towards Kara finally forgiving- as best she could –Lena for all that she’s done.

Kara swallowed hard, shifting from foot to foot as she watched Lena bat at the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Her anger was gone, now only a whisper in the back of her mind. 

“You can start off by actually talking to me,” Kara’s words broke the silence, Lena looking back up at her.

“Of course,” Lena agreed almost instantly, “I’ll tell you anything you want… No more ignoring your questions or lying.” A phantom warmth vaguely spread through Kara’s chest upon hearing those words. She acknowledged that Lena was _actually_ trying.

Another step in the right direction…

Kara opened her mouth, about to take her up on her promise when suddenly she realized that Lena was bleeding… Rather badly, actually.

A rush of concern spiked through Kara- her sudden changes in emotion were starting to make her dizzy –moving quickly over to the sniffling woman in front of her. “Oh god,” Kara whispered as she looked at the blood that drenched the front of Lena’s grey shirt.

She reached to pull the ripped fabric away gently, seeing long gouges streaked across Lena’s chest. They were right over her heart, overlapping with the pale scar that Victoria had given her.

“Did I do…”

“No,” Lena spoke before Kara could finish her fearful inquiry, “I did this.” She tried to push Kara’s hand away, but Kara just returned her hand straight to the bloody fabric. She pulled it off of Lena a little further, her eyebrows furrowing as she frowned.

After multiple minutes of silence, Kara finally looked up to meet Lena’s gaze as she studied her assistance face. “Why?” The question came out in a whisper as Kara glanced back down at the wounds. They looked to be from a knife, the gashes incredibly deep.

At first Lena didn’t answer the question, and Kara was about to repeat herself when she finally spoke. “I wanted to see… To see if it actually was my heart that you felt... But it hurts too much, so I stopped.” Kara’s frowned deepened as she looked into emerald green eyes.

Pity and sadness over Lena’s self-mutilation engulfed Kara. She’d harmed herself all because she was so terrified of what was going on inside her body. The gashes looked painful, and when Kara went to brush her thumb above one Lena winced.

An idea popped into Kara’s head, but she didn’t want to follow the though until all the blood was gone and the wounds were bandaged. “Come on, let’s clean you up,” Kara instructed, grabbing Lena’s wrist to pull her along.

Lena didn’t fight her, letting Kara lead the way. “I don’t get infections… This’ll be gone by tomorrow afternoon,” Lena pointed out, but the glare that Kara flashed her made her snap her jaw shut and just nod along with what was happening.

Before Kara take Lena back up to her room, she stopped off at her room to gather the multiple rolls of gauze and wound-cleaning supplies she had stashed there. Lena gave her a quizzical look, but kept silent as they started to make their way to her tower.

Pushing the door open, Kara instructed Lena to sit somewhere comfortable, moving to go grab the water pitcher that she’d found in Lena’s washroom one day while exploring. When she returned she saw Lena sitting on the edge of her bed, watching her with an unreadable expression.

“You know you don’t have to do that,” Lena pointed out as Kara set all the medical supplies and the full pitcher down on the bedside table that was right next to her. “Shut up,” Kara ordered, although her voice was far from harsh, “Lift your arms.

Despite Lena’s obvious confusion, she did as she was told. Kara very carefully took her ripped and bloodied shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the floor. Luckily Lena’s bra was still intact, although it was also drenched in blood.

For now, Kara left it alone, instead grabbing a cloth from her kit and soaking it in the water pitcher. Squeezing it out a little Kara took the soaking cloth and gently pressed it to the mixture of dry and wet blood on Lena’s chest.

She hissed through her teeth, instinctively shooting a hand up to grab Kara’s wrist. The warning look she shot her made Lena quickly let go, mumbling an apology. 

“I watched you grab a red hot poker and not even flinch… You can deal with a little stinging.”

“I wasn’t paying attention to the poker when I grabbed it...”

“Then I’ll distract you.”

Kara glanced up from what she was doing to meet Lena’s gaze. “I had fun at the falls… Even if it didn’t end very well.” Lena frowned, deflating slightly in guilt. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, looking down at what Kara was doing.

“You’ve already apologized; you don’t need to any more. I know why you ran and I don’t blame you… I was just upset that you literally pushed me away.”

“I didn’t know you didn’t want to be pushed away- metaphorically, that is.”

“Why would I want to be pushed away?” Kara arched an eyebrow a she leaned to clean the cloth in the water.

“You just never showed interest in me… You hate me. Most people don’t want to talk civilly with the person they hate.”

“I don’t hate you.”

Lena’s eyes snapped up to meet Kara’s. 

“Bullshit.”

“I don’t,” Kara defended, “Not anymore… If you did something like this when we first met… I wouldn’t be here, trying to prove to you that you _do_ have a heart.”

Lena went silent for a long moment, obviously lost in thought. Eventually she spoke again, staring blankly at the hollow of Kara’s neck. “Can I ask you something?”

Kara hummed in agreement, leaning over to wash her cloth again, almost done in cleaning Lena’s chest off.

“If I did have some sort of power to take back all the things I’ve done to you- given you back your friend, and taken that brand away –would you… Stay?”

Kara’s hand paused mid dab. Her lips pursed as she thought about the question… Would she stay with Lena if she had the ability to leave and return to her old life? Despite what Kara had been screaming at her earlier- saying she was only staying because of her brand –something drew Kara to want to stay.

What that something was she had no idea, and it was kind of scary. That invisible force pulling her, telling her to get closer to Lena, was possibly one of the scariest things Kara had ever felt. But at the same time she was interested in following it.

“I don’t know,” Kara eventually answered, continuing with her gentle dabs on Lena’s chest. Lena didn’t seem satisfied nor dissatisfied with the question. She just nodded and returned to their usual silence, watching Kara finish up cleaning her chest.

She tossed the dirty rag in the soiled water pitcher and started to grab some rolls of bandages and pads of gauze. “Can you go change your bra?” Kara asked as she gathered her items, glancing at the blood soaked clothing.

Silently sliding from the bed, Lena grabbed a fresh bra from one of her chests, removing the dirty one with her back turned to the room. Kara tried not to look for too long, her eyes glancing down at the lightly freckled back before adverting her eyes.

Lena returned, sitting back up on the bed. It was obvious that she wanted to protest against getting the bandages wrapped around her, but she kept silent. The only major reason Kara was even bandaging her up was because- with her plan –she didn’t want to lean against the fresh wounds and re-open them.

Pressing some pads of gauze against the wounds, Kara started to carefully wrap her chest, going over her undergarment and around her shoulder a few times for the taller gashes. Once all the injuries were wrapped, Kara used her teeth to rip the bandages.

“Okay,” Kara put her stuff back into the little satchel she kept it all in, “Now lay down over there.” She gestured towards the head of the bed, taking her stuff to set down by the door. Lena, still very confused, did as she was told. 

She kicked her boots off, remaining shirtless as she shuffled backwards to lay on the large bed. Kara returned, kicking her own boots off before crawling onto the overly plush mattress. With Lena laying down, she was able to straddle her thighs, sitting over her.

Without any explanation, Kara randomly leaned down towards Lena’s chest. She tilted her head sideways and pressed her ear against the dry bandages, directly over Lena’s heart. She didn’t put very much pressure, just enough to be able to listen.

Lena gasped at the action, instinctively reaching up to wrap her hands in Kara’s hair. Her stomach did a sort of weird flip, but Kara ignored it as she closed her eyes to listen for the heartbeat she’d felt earlier that day.

At first all she could hear was Lena’s slow breathing, but listening through that Kara could hear the telltale signs of a heart inside Lena’s chest. It was thumping loudly, now that Kara could pick out the sound.

Kara glanced up at Lena, who was watching her with an odd look on her face. “Why is it beating so fast?” Kara asked, eyebrows raising. “I don’t know?” Lena furrowed her own brows, her odd look mixing with confusion.

“Are you scared?” Kara moved to press her ear against her chest again, eyes closing as she listened to the fluttering. “No,“ Lena’s voice came from her chest. Kara frowned in thought as she went silent. 

As she thought about why Lena’s heart would possibly be going so fast, she felt the fingers wrapped in her hair starting to subconsciously move. She inhaled sharply through her nose, her chest fluttering at the sensation.

“Don’t- wait,” Kara looked up, about to reprimand Lena’s twitching fingers when suddenly she thought of something. Her chest- heart –had just fluttered nervously at the feeling of Lena’s hands in her hair… That’s exactly what Lena’s heart was doing right now.

“You’re nervous,” Kara stated, sitting up completely this time. Lena looked extremely confused, her eyebrow arching. “Why would I be nervous?” Kara shrugged, looking down at Lena as she looked up at her.

“I don’t know; it’s your heart not mine.”

“I don’t think it’s mine either- that one’s long gone.”

“Well obviously not, if I can hear your heart beating a million miles an hour… Maybe you grew a new one?”

“I’m not a starfish, I don’t grow back lost limbs- or organs in this case.”

“Then I have no idea… Can you feel it?”

“My nervousness, or my heart?”

“Uh… Both, I guess?”

“I’m feeling a lot of things…”

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, tilting her head as she looked down at Lena. “What does that mean?”

“I… Emotions. I can feel all my emotions now.”

Lena bit her lip as Kara processed what she just said.

She could feel her emotions now? So she wasn’t consumed by anger and blood lust like Sam had talked about months ago… Was her curse starting to wear off? No, her powers were still as strong as ever... Then what was causing her to be able to feel and get a heart again?

Kara could practically feel smoke coming from her ears as she tried to think about why exactly Lena was changing so much.

Her thoughts were broken when Lena suddenly spoke. “Let’s just figure this out some other time, okay?” Kara hadn’t realized that Lena had been looking her up and down the entire time, another odd expression returning to her face.

Realizing she was still sitting on top of Lena, Kara suddenly got off of her. “Yeah, okay… I think I should probably get some sleep…” Carefully scooting off the bed- making sure not to wince in pain from her ribs or back –Kara started to pull her boots on.

Lena sat up, silently watching her from the bed. With her shoes on again, Kara went to grab her satchel and leave, but turned at the sound of Lena asking her name. She raised an eyebrow, humming in acknowledgement as she looked to the raven haired woman.

“Thank you… For helping me… I know I don’t deserve it.”

Kara stared at her for a long, silent moment. “… Just keep your promise that you’ll be honest with me… Then we can decide what you do and don’t deserve.”

**********

Kara woke up softly groaning, her back and ribs sore from the day before. She’d fallen asleep in her forest-smelling cloths from the day before, having passed out as soon as she laid down in bed. Her hair was a mess, and there was mud caked under her nails.

Starting off with her hair, Kara brushed it out until the bristles ran smoothly through each part of her head. After that she washed her hands scrubbing her face clean as well. Finally, she changed her clothing, wearing some form fitting trousers and her favorite shirt that Sam had given her.

Instead of going straight up to Lena’s room, Kara stopped off at the banquet hall. She grabbed some bread and a small plate of fruit, as well as a hot cup of spiced tea from the massive fireplace that often heled warm drinks.

Sam stopped Kara on her way to Lena, asking if she’d ever found her the night before. “Yeah, she showed up eventually… We’ve got everything figured out,” Kara answered simply. She still didn’t want to give away Lena’s ‘secret’, even to her best friend.

It was obvious that Sam knew she was hiding something, but seeing the determined silence on Kara’s face, Sam decided to drop the subject. “Well enjoy your day together. I’ll be in town all day, so I’ll probably only see you tonight.”

They departed with a fond good-bye before Kara made her way up Lena’s tower. As usual Lena was already at her desk, changed into her usual black top and matching jeans. She looked to be writing a letter to someone, her quill moving wildly around the paper.

Instead of going straight up to her reading nook like usual, Kara instead set her stuff down on Lena’s desk and leaned the back of her hips against it, crossing her arms and legs at the ankles. Lena froze in her writing, looking up to Kara as she sat next to her.

“Uh… Good morning?” Lena raised an eyebrow, looking confused. “Let me see,” Kara simply replied, gesturing to Lena’s chest. She looked defiant at first, frowning. “It’s almost healed; I told you I’ll be fine.” Lena huffed, setting down her quill.

Kara wordlessly grabbed Lena’s shoulder and started to push her back till she was sitting straight. “Almost is not completely… Let me see, Lena,” Kara softly ordered. Lena contemplated her for a moment before sighing and grabbing the hem of her shirt.

She didn’t take the shirt off completely, but she did lift it so that Kara could see the self-inflicted wounds. Lena had been right; they were almost completely healed. The shallower parts of the gashes were now pink scars, while the deeper areas were scabbed over and healing nicely.

With a satisfied nod, Kara allowed Lena to drop her shirt and re-tuck it into her pants. “Do you need me to do anything else, nurse?” Lena asked sarcastically, smirking at her own joke. Kara rolled her eyes, turning to grab her cup of tea.

She looked at Lena, contemplating something as she sipped the drink. “You were serious about being completely honest with me yesterday, right?” Lena’s smirk faded into a serious look. “Of course,” she answered quickly.

“Then if I ask you to tell me something, you’ll tell me?”

“What are you going to ask?” Lena raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a yes or no question, don’t deflect.”

“… Yes.”

Kara gave a small smile to herself past the edge of her cup as she took another sip. “Good… So that means you’ll tell me about your past.” Lena narrowed her eyes, frowning. “You already know my past.”

“No, I know the general idea of your past… I want to know the rest.” Kara shifted to sit completely on Lena’s desk, watching the older woman with soft blue eyes. Lena still stared at her skeptically.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because if I’m to decide if you deserve my full forgiveness or not, I want to know the person I’m forgiving.”

Lena sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned back into her seat. “Can I trust you not to tell anyone? Not even Sam knows who I am and where I come from… I’ve worked years on keeping Lena a secret, I’m not just going to throw all my effort out the window.”

Taking her index finger, Kara drew an ‘X’ over her heart. “I promise; I’ll never tell anyone.” Lena stared at the gesture for a moment before dropping her resolve. “Fine… Then I might as well start at the beginning…”

**********

Lena Luthor was born during a long, bitter winter to two nobles out of wedlock. They had been having an affair for many years, and her mother ended up getting pregnant. To cover up their adultery, Lena’s father wanted to kill the new born child as soon as possible. 

However, her mother spoke against this idea, reasoning that if the body of the infant was found, or her paid off servants still broke their bought silence about the death of the child it’d make things even worse.

She decided to give the baby to a trusted servant instead. She was a kind woman, unable to bare her own children, and had recently lost her husband.

The servant- whose name was Francis Bourdage –raised Lena until she was about five years old, never once telling her about her true family heritage. Lena was a happy toddler who loved people and talked non-stop whenever someone paused to listen to her.

She had no problem living a life of ‘poverty’, always content with what she was given. As long as she had her adoptive mother she was content. The two of them lived in the servant’s quarters that was built on the same property as Francis’ masters home. Lena’s real mother got to watch her grow up from a distance, happy to see that Francis was a good mother in her absence.

Lena’s biological father, however, did not trust Francis as much as Lena’s mother. The affair was already a big weight on his shoulders to begin with- “I just can’t help myself” was what he would say to himself whenever he felt guilty for cheating on his wife 

The knowledge of a bastard child, and an ‘untrustworthy’ servant was too much for him to deal with. He decided to take it upon himself to get rid of the bastard. Hiring a well-known killer, the noble man paid for the death of his daughter and Francis.

On the night of Lena’s fifth birthday, the killer snuck into the servant’s quarters, killing Francis as she slept. Lena, however, was not in her chambers.

She had snuck out to speak to her biological mother, for they had become good friends over the years of Francis serving the noble woman. Lena’s mother told her about her lost baby, explaining who they were to each other, unaware of the murderer in her home.

The hired killer stumbled upon them during this moment, attacking the mother as soon as he realized his cover was blown. The attack was brutal, and Lena was forced to watch it all as she hid under a small table, unable to run from the room.

The killer turned to attack Lena, but was caught by the guards that heard the scuffle and screams of their mistress. They managed to capture the killer alive, wrestling him to the ground and arresting him.

When word got out about the murders that night, Lena’s father knew that information about who had hired the killer and why was going to spread like wild fire. He paid the man to murder someone, not keep a secret.

To avoid the shame of arrest and probable execution, the nobleman killed himself. In the note he wrote before his death, he intentionally neglected to mention Lena’s true heritage.

Believed to be a simple servants daughter, Lena was thrown out onto the streets. She was quickly taken to a poor orphanage by a stranger after wandering around the city for a few days, dropped off on their doorstep, as if she was a new born baby.

That was where Lena finished her toddler years, seeping into teenage-hood as the time passed. The name of the children’s home was “Saint Vincent’s”, and was probably one of the worst places one could spend their formative years.

It was full of every kind of abuse known to man: physical, sexual, and mental. Adults and children alike were the offenders. Lena had to rely on a small handful of older kids to watch over her, too small to defend herself.

Even with the bigger kids, however, she was still a target due to her sweet and timid nature. It didn’t take long for Lena to become depressed when she was only seven, believing she had nothing left in the world.

All of the people she viewed as family were dead, leaving her truly alone. Lena had major anxiety and PTSD from watching her birth mothers murder, dreaming of her death almost every night. She’d wake up screaming and trying to fight off an imaginary attacker who had come to finish the job.

Of course this didn’t help Lena’s popularity in the orphanage, getting beaten every time she woke someone up with her night terrors.

At the age of ten, Lena attempted to take her own life. She failed when someone found her passed out, both wrists slashed open. She was taken to a small hospital to get fixed up, being told by one of the orphanage workers that she was going to be sent to a mental institution due to the attempt.

Even at ten Lena knew the horror stories about the local mental hospital. So, instead of accepting her fate, Lena decided to run away. That night, when she wasn’t being watched, Lena managed to escape from the hospital.

It was amazing how many people didn’t question a child walking around the building alone.

Lena made it out onto the streets, walking as far as she could. The city she was in was on the western coast of the continent, so before long Lena was strolling along a dock full of all sorts of ships. Most of the sailors she saw were too scary to talk to; Lena had lost her fondness of talking to strangers long ago.

The sailors she did try and talk to simply ignored her, or shooed her away. This lasted for over a week, Lena almost giving up. She wanted to lay in an alley and starve to death. But something kept her going- a small spark of hope that maybe she could turn her life around.

So, she tried stealing.

She found her way to a nearby market, attempting to reach for the juiciest looking apple she had ever seen. As she was about to pick the apple from the market stall, however, a rather ragged looking man with crazy knotted hair and an eyepatch caught her wrist.

Lena fought at first, trying to run away from the sailor. But the man- she learned his name was Oliver –refused to let go.

He scolded Lena in his ragged voice, a voice that Lena would one day think very fondly of, saying how if she was caught stealing the guards would cut off her hand. Whether he was bluffing or not was a mystery to Lena, even in her adult ears.

“A life of thievery is no way to live,” Oliver said as he sternly looked down at Lena. He seemed to take pity on her, however; a scrawny girl with hair blacker than pitch, the waves snarled together in a big rat’s nest, dust and straw mixed into it.

Oliver suggested Lena come with him onto his fishing vessel, saying that it was at least a roof over her head. At first Lena said no, wanting nothing to do with the strange, gruff man.

However, even when Oliver let her go and started to walk away, Lena slowly followed him. He led her to a small ship with a crew of maybe seven men. Oliver was the captain of the ship, and when his crew asked about Lena, he said she was his orphaned niece.

The crew questioned no further, happily accepting Lena as their own. So, after cutting off all her hair- it was too tangled to brush through –Oliver gave Lena a home on the water.

She regained her strength quickly, now having access to regular food and decent sleep. Eventually, she even started to learn how to earn her keep on the ship.

At first it was just small things like cleaning the vessel, but soon she started to learn how to actually sail. It started with memorizing knots and what certain parts of the ship do. Then, it was actually drawing and undrawing sails. 

Oliver even taught her how to steer, and follow the stars at night. He taught her how to read, which turned into her learning how to read actual maps.

By the time Lena was thirteen, she could sail and fish perfectly.

Oliver was like a father to her. Although he never learned about Lena’s past, he knew she had lost the people she loved, and was happy to take their place. Slowly Lena had learned to trust in humans again- although she was still very wary of strangers.

The crew of Oliver’s ship were the only ones Lena fully trusted with her life, honestly. They were like her family, everyone accepting her with open arms and warm love.

Which made it that much harder when she lost them.

One morning Lena had been tasked with steering the ship through the open ocean. She had been sailing all night, and was exhausted. When her eyes glanced over the other ship off in the distance, she didn’t even notice.

Even upon second glance she didn’t think much of it, having seen other fishing and merchant vessels in that area before. It never occurred to her that it might actually be pirates.

Lena steered a little away from the distant ship, but by the time she realized she should have steered further it was too late. The ship was purposefully going towards them, their flag becoming noticeable to Lena.

The skull of a ram flew in the early morning sun, telling Lena these people were from no navy or merchant port.

She sounded the alarm bell to the crew, but by then it was too late; the pirates were too close.

The first cannon ball they shot missed by a few feet, splashing into the water right in front of them. Oliver had no long distance weapons, only carrying a few muskets and tridents. So, all they could do was try and sail away.

Of course that proved impossible when the second shot hit the ship right through the port side. The ship rocked violently, threatening to knock Lena onto her butt. Oliver had taken the wheel, attempting to do maneuvers to avoid the cannon fire.

It proved to be futile as another cannon ball hit the ship right in the main mast, crushing the upper deck as it fell.

Now it was noticeable that they were sinking; the crew was shouting about the lower desk being flooded, multiple people fleeing up to the main deck. There was mention that someone was trapped in the flooding rooms, Lena trying to do what she could to help.

Running down, she tried slamming against the pinned door. She could hear the screaming of one of her crew mates, feeling him bang against the blocked door as well.

She had to listen to him drown, his screams reminding her of her birthmother when she had been murdered.

Lena had to be dragged away from the door, the second to top floor starting to fill with water. Another cannon ball blasted through a wall, crashing into half of the crew. Lena dared not to look, rushing up to the main desk.

Oliver was visibly having a hard time sailing. His face was grim and he was grinding his teeth, trying to keep the ship going.

It was then that Lena realized she might die that day.

As she stared at the man she considered her father, another shot rang out. Through the splintering of the wood as the cannon ball hit the deck right where Oliver was, Lena could see where he had fallen. Foolishly she ran to him, not noticing how the lower half of his body was nowhere to be seen.

Oliver was alive for maybe a few extra seconds, staring at Lena in shock before his eyes went glassy, and his body limp. Lena had no time to process the death of her father, feeling the ship starting to give out under itself.

There were large pieces of wood floating in the water, so Lena did the next logical thing; she abandoned ship. Jumping into the water, she swam to a piece of drift wood, clinging onto it for dear life. Lena looked back to see if anyone had followed her, but instantly regretted it when she did.

Lena could see two of her friends floating on make-shift rafts around her, the rest of the crew lifelessly floating with their faces in the water. Lena watched through tears in her eyes as the home she had known for three years broke in half and sank to the bottom of the ocean.

The pirate ship caught up to the wreckage, a small crew of men and women going out on a dingy to pick up Lena and the other two survivors. They were taken back to the ship, bound by ropes and thrown onto the deck in front of the captain.

A cruel looking woman with a large scar on her cheek and neck stared down at Lena, her grey eyes cold as steel. Lena would soon find out that this woman was Captain Oliva Louvette. She was a pirate who had sailed all over the world, stealing from smaller ships and taking some of their crew for herself.

Lena hoped that maybe, just maybe, Captain Louvette would let her and her friends go, but that hope quickly died when Captain Louvette ordered for the men to be strapped high up on the mast and left for the gulls.

Watching silently, rage boiled inside of Lena as the last of her family was slowly murdered. Olivia didn’t order for Lena to be killed in some awful away, however. Instead, she was sent to a tiny cell at the bottom of the ship.

Lena tried to fight at first, biting the first hand that tried to grab her. With a quick jab to the jaw with the handle of a pistol, however, all the fight was knocked out of her.

For two weeks Lena stayed on the brig of Louvette’s ship, the Castilian. Olivia would visit her every day, asking her questions about her life and knowledge of sailing. When Lena got bold enough to ask why she was spared, Olivia explained that she needed an heir to her ship.

She didn’t trust any of her crew to properly handle the role as captain after her, and all the question she had been asking were a test to see if Lena was worthy. Olivia decided to train the younger teenager to take her place, all of her questions having been answered well enough.

Lena called her crazy, but after a few more days in the small cell, she started to come to terms with her new fate.

Of course that didn’t stop her from getting into fights with the other crew members. At the age of almost fourteen, Lena was able to handle herself when the crew members got too aggressive towards her.

Her fiery personality earned Lena the nickname “Athena”, the goddess of war.

It took Lena- now Athena to her new crew and any stranger that asked –about a year before she started to grow into her role as a pirate. She learned how to attack and raid specific ships, also being taught how to handle a sword by Olivia.

Lena was eighteen when she finally became captain of the Castilian. It had happened rather quickly; the ship was docked at harbor, and the crew were enjoying a night on dry land when things took a turn. 

She was away from the crew- trying her hand at swooning some curious girls –when she heard that the tavern Olivia was at had been raided by guards. Olivia and a few other crew members had been arrested. They were to be hanged in the morning. 

When the rest of the crew heard the news, however, no one seemed to suggest a rescue.

At this point in Olivia’s life, she had made the mistake of trying too hard to become an infamous pirate too quickly. She pushed her crew, treating them like vermin and slaves. No one had any love for her, safe for a few older sailors who knew her before she was so ruthless.

Due to Olivia’s lack of sensitivity, it wasn’t surprising to Lena when no one offered a rescue plan. Lena for sure didn’t say anything, not wanting to help the woman who murdered her family in such a ruthless way; she had never forgotten, nor forgiven what was done to her four years prior.

So, Lena did what anyone with a grudge would do; disguised as a poor citizen, she secretly attended Olivia’s execution, smiling as they made eye contact right before the trap door opened. 

With the death of her captor, Lena was now free.

She took her crew and left with the Castilian, returning to a life of piracy- it was all she knew at this point. If she were to leave, she’d have nothing to go to. So, Lena sailed for years, plundering ships and taking as much as she could; without tempting fate, of course.

It took Lena about two years before she was able a second ship, which she named Devil’s Heart. Using her new ship as her primary ship, she employed her new first mate, Callum, to sail the Castilian in her absence.

Lena didn’t start to become the infamous pirate Captain Athena for a few years, however. She sailed as a captain for about three years before people started to notice her.

It all started when Lena attacked a rich looking vessel- she was aiming to add a third ship to her ruthless fleet –not realizing the passengers were very important diplomats. Lena’s crew robbed the ship, taking the survivors of the attack to their captain as usual.

Lena introduced herself under her alias, quickly finding out who exactly who she was holding captain. Knowing exactly what to do, Lena held them for ransom. 

At first the government was reluctant to pay for their people, sending in a small fleet of naval ships to try and take her down. However, they underestimated Lena’s skill and strength. She defeated the naval ambush, and killed one of the diplomats to show that she meant business, raising the ransom in the process.

Lena’s patience paid off in the end; after holding the diplomat’s hostage for three months. The government paid the multimillion dollar ransom, Lena giving the hostages back. Now rich enough to expand her fleet, Lena bought three more ships and crew.

The entire heist drew a lot of attention towards Lena, spreading her name across the entire world. A bounty was put on Captain Athena, starting off with a few hundred thousand dollars. However, Lena was now able to be bolder, and attacked anyone who crossed her or her growing fleet’s path.

Within a few months Captain Athena and the Devil’s Heart were famous.

With the popularity came rumors. Captain Athena, and Lena in general, were very mysterious to the general public. Where had she come from? Who raised such a ruthless woman?

Of course Lena did nothing to stop the rumors, enjoying how it made her even more well-known.

The night Lena met Victoria Hale, she was in a popular tavern in the south. Lena was with her crew, enjoying the ale and attention from all the curious women who wanted to see exactly how infamous Captain Athena was.

The mysterious brunette woman in the corner was the only person in the tavern not trying to win Lena’s attention. That made her all the more desirable to the pirate captain.

Lena introduced herself as Captain Athena, but Victoria gave an indifferent shrug. The captain hungrily caught the bait, getting hooked instantly. For the rest of the night she didn’t give two shits about the easily attainable women around her; she only cared about Victoria.

The original plan for Lena and her crew went out the window. They were no longer to leave the next morning, instead spending the next two weeks in the port. The entire time Lena was trying to court Victoria. It wasn’t till the final day on the second week- when Lena foolishly admitted she would do anything for her –that Victoria finally gave into Lena’s advances.

The catch to Victoria’s acceptance was that Lena had to bring her long when the Devil’s Heart set sail. Normally Lena was the type of womanizer to only have a fling for a few days, then go back out to sea for months.

However, she was so interested in Victoria that she happily agreed. So, the following morning they left for the open water. The first few months went well, Lena actually starting to care about Victoria. She ignored the fact that her loved made her crew, and her best friend Sam, uneasy. Her excuse was they were just jealous, too used to seeing Lena unhappy and alone.

Victoria shared Lena’s ambition for wealth- although a little more than the captain –urging her to plunder bigger and more dangerous game. At first Lena was reluctant, not wanting to become Olivia. Eventually, Victoria got into her head. She did everything and anything Victoria asked, just like she said she would.

It was as if she was under a spell, blindly following her lover’s suggestions. Victoria fueled her desire, driving her to want more.

For almost a year the two were the deadliest couple in all of the sea. The Devil’s Heart was now the most feared ship, along with her fleet.

It still wasn’t enough to Victoria, however. She wanted more, eventually suggesting that Lena needed supernatural help to become more powerful. Lena, infatuated with Victoria, didn’t see that her lover was hiding her personal ambitions in her words.

She agreed to let Victoria start researching a ritual that would give her the power of the gods. What Lena didn’t realize is that Victoria was in fact preparing the spell for herself, rather than the pirate captain; A sacrifice that would give _Victoria_ all the power, not Lena.

All she had to do was give them the blackest heart in the world.

The night of the ritual finally came. Lena sailed to a secluded island- one with no living inhabitance to get in the way. She had her reluctant crew stay behind, following Victoria onto land.

Victoria set up the ritual, surrounding the couple with different symbolic items; gold coins, coal, and different expensive jewels. She took a lamb they brought with them, opening its throat with a ‘blessed’ dagger. She had Lena stand in the center of the circle, pouring the blood all over the items and Lena. 

The captain never doubted her trust in Victoria until that moment…

The knife plunged into her chest, human blood mixing with lambs. 

Shock and betrayal was all Lena could feel, staring into the eyes of the woman she loved. Victoria was smiling as she worked the knife through her lover, thinking she was going to get the power she was working towards all her life.

Lena started to collapse, Victoria half holding her up as she started to chant some unknown language in a deep voice. The pain was indescribable as Victoria carved out Lena’s heart, pulling it from her chest. Everything started to get dark as Lena watched her lover raised the heart into the air, screaming some final words into the night sky.

It was hours before Lena woke back up. The ritual hadn’t fully worked; Victoria still got her wish, although not quite to the extent that she originally wanted.

Lena’s heart hadn’t been the blackest in the world- far from it, in fact –so instead Victoria was only given the mortal definition of ‘true power’. She was given a crown, while Lena was given the task of Gluttony; cursed to rule the world as a vengeful, angry demon, forced to take the lives of those who’d gotten too greedy… And then some, of course.

Of course Lena could no longer feel anything but pain and cruelty without her heart, using the one wish the gods had given her to mock Victoria’s power and become a Queen herself- the Queen of the Sea. Using her new god given powers, Lena spread cruelty to anyone who crossed her path.

She was angry and bitter over her death, swearing to kill Victoria for her betrayal. Captain Athena would become the most ruthless pirate queen if it was the last thing Lena did. She would put the Devil to shame, her and her crew becoming ‘wraiths’ of the sea.

That was completely thrown out the window, however, when the gods decided to give Lena back her heart…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of information in this one! And lots of strange emotions on Kara's part.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think <3  
> -Aries


	10. Chasing Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Lena's backstory humanizing her, Kara no longer things of her as an enemy... Or a friend.

The soft tapping of Kara’s quill was the only sound in the room. She was tapping the tip of it against the edge of Lena’s desk, the ink long since dried. Staring at a blank spot on the wall across the room, Kara rested her chin thoughtfully in her palm as she leaned onto her elbow.

Lena had told Kara her story over a week ago, but Kara still thought of it daily. She replayed the past of her captor- no, not captor… Not anymore; Kara wasn’t a slave on some unknown island, forced to live a life she didn’t want to.

Now Kara was starting to consider herself at least an ally of National City. She wouldn’t call herself a pirate, but after spending multiple months working amongst both Lena and Sam, she could definitely get behind the freedom National City and the island gave to its people.

So instead she was replaying the past of the mysterious woman who she had an incredibly strange relationship with over and over again in her head.

Her tragic childhood- her even more tragic teens… Lena had lived an incredibly hard life that made Kara’s previous situation look like a cake walk. She watched so many people she loved die, and was put in the same exact situation Kara had been put in when they first met.

While her past nor her curse justified her actions, it helped Kara understand Lena a little bit more. It took the sting away from Kara’s loss, even if she was still left with the deep rooted sadness that felt like a horse was standing on her chest every day.

Kara missed Winn terribly, and she wished he didn’t have to be taken away from her, but part of Kara understood that he was gone and there was no use hanging onto the anger she had towards both Lena and the world… Although some days that was easier said than done.

She still found herself crying in frustration alone every few nights, and she’s had to hold back some bitter words towards Lena a couple of times… But it was getting better; the gaping hole in her heart was closing ever so slightly.

Which is what made it so much easier to feel sympathy for Lena and all the pain she’d felt in her life; the loss of literally all her loved ones, her abduction and forced piracy with Oliva, the betrayal of the one she loved the most- Victoria…

Kara was so lost in her thoughts, continuing to blankly watch the wall that she didn’t even notice Lena walking into the room. Lena paused, noticing her thousand-yard stare and her subconscious tapping of the quill in her hand.

“Kara?” Lena asked in a soft voice, shifting the thick stack of letters from her right to her left hand. Her assistant continued to stare off, blue eyes half lidded as they flickered ever so slightly. She didn’t even notice Lena’s small smile, watching her for a moment longer before deciding to break her out of her trance.

Stepping closely next to her, Lena started to wave her hand in front of Kara’s eyes. She blinked at the movement, inhaling sharply as she realized she hadn’t been doing what she was supposed to do while Lena was away for a few hours.

“Oh, shoot- I’m sorry,” Kara looked up to see Lena’s half smile, her stomach fluttering. Ignoring the sensation, Kara stood from Lena’s chair quickly. She adjusted her sword to hang at her side instead of lay across her lap, shuffling from in front of the chair so that Lena could take her spot back.

Lena hummed in an amused tone, green eyes following Kara as she took a step back. “Where’d you go, Sweetheart?” Her head tilted, blinking slowly as Kara tried not to show how flustered the nickname- once mocking, but now endearing –made her.

“I was just uh… Just thinking about things,” Kara brushed her hair from her face, refusing to look at the sweet eyes Lena was giving her. 

It seemed that once she’d opened up to Kara, Lena felt comfortable enough to drop her hard-ass act and actually connect with the former naval captain.

Chuckling as she set her papers down, Lena shifted off of the desk moving to sit down where Kara had previously sat. “Well obviously… Care to share with the class?” She looked back up to Kara, who moved to stand at the side of the desk.

Before she could even open her mouth, however, Sam suddenly barged into the room. “Ah, perfect! I was looking for both of you.” Lena’s soft look suddenly dropped, becoming slightly harder as she looked to Sam. Even though they were best friends it was obvious to Kara now how she still had to put walls up even around Sam.

Shifting her attention from Lena, Kara listened to Sam launch into her ‘report’ to Lena, while simultaneously asking Kara if she could handle some things involving castle inventory. “I don’t think I can get it done on my own, and it really needs to be finished by tomorrow night,” was Sam’s reasoning.

Kara glanced back to Lena, feeling slightly upset that she wasn’t able to spend the day with her. Lena showed no sign if she was reluctant or not to lose Kara, her green eyes only briefly glazing over her frowning face.

“If it has to be done, then I’ll get started now,” Kara tried not to sound too huffy as she accepted the responsibility. Sam thanked her profusely, saying she’d buy her an entire bag of sweets from Kara’s favorite candy shop as thanks.

With one last glance to Lena, Kara adjusted her saber and made her way down to where Sam requested her to go, disappointment sitting heavy on her chest.

**********

Sam laughed at Kara’s story as they sat in the buzzing banquet hall, eating their breakfast together. Kara was telling her about the time she had to turn down an awkward teenage boy’s proposal while she was in town with her mother that day, long ago. 

“The worst part was, I had absolutely no idea who he was!” Kara exclaimed with animated hand movements. Sam only laughed harder, curling forward as she gently smacked the table in front of her. Kara chuckled along with her, smiling wide.

Three months had gone by since Lena had told Kara about who she was. Over half a year had passed since Kara had been taken to the pirate island. She had already been considering her place in National City a few months ago, but now she could confidently say she was one of the citizens- if not one of the people who helped it run smoothly.

Her friendship with Sam grew considerably, as did her attachment to Lena. 

Sam was Kara’s best friend; the person she went to, to relax and seek advice from. 

Lena… Was a little more complicated. Yes, she was Kara’s friend in her mind, but there was some sort of underlying connection that Kara couldn’t quite figure out.

She found herself disappointed when Lena left the room or was too busy to spend time with her, almost always seeking out some sort of attention from the older woman. 

Lena was now considerably sweeter to Kara, no longer treating her as a toy, but instead someone she actually cared about- if anything Kara seemed to care about her, too. Which was a very odd and scary thing to think about.

The strange connection between them is probably what made it so difficult for Kara to see Lena enter the dining hall with a deep frown on her face. 

Her laughter quickly died out, the smile replaced with a look of concern as Lena practically stalked up to the front table.

“What’s wrong?” Kara immediately questioned, watching Lena walk around the long table before flouncing down in her chair with a deep sigh. Lena didn’t answer at first, instead leaning her weight on an elbow as she pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closed.

Sam shifted to share a worried glance with Kara, her eyebrows furrowed as she frowned. “There’s been some things going on in Port Ladeea that need my attention... Something about a hurricane, and none of the town leaders able to agree on how to reorganize the city and fix the damages?”

Kara frowned, seeing the stress knitted between Lena’s brows. A muscle in her jaw twitched as she clenched her teeth in frustration. “So you have to go up North?” Sam’s face mirrored Lena’s stress and frustration, her voice exasperated.

Lena nodding only made Sam seem more upset. “But we need you here! I can’t run the city _and_ deal with all the decision making the renovations require,” Sam complained, “It was one thing when all I had to do was sit in on meetings and sign papers, but now the builders need to be supervised and physically checked up on to make sure things are going to plan.”

“Sam- I know that,” Lena’s frustration snapped like a whip, the hand pinching at her nose suddenly slamming against the table. Kara tried not to flinch, her eyes blinking at the sudden motion that caused the plates and silverware on the table to jump.

Sam shut her mouth quickly, her teeth clicking together at Lena’s brief outburst. Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Lena continued to speak in a much slower voice. “I’ll have Kara deal with the renovations; she’s already been trained on how to handle everything, and I trust that she knows which decisions to make… I need _you_ to continue running National City.”

Kara was just about to question how she was going to make decisions on the castle renovations while up North with Lena when she realized what she meant; Kara wasn’t going up North…

“Wait- you’re leaving me here?” Kara asked in disbelief, eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. Lena turned to her, a soft look in her eyes despite her frown. “I have to… Overseeing the renovations is a full time job, and other than Sam you’re the only one I trust to make the calls on what should and shouldn’t be done.”

The words shouldn’t have upset Kara- she was finally able to prove herself as a reliable leader –but the sinking feeling in her stomach was hard to ignore. She didn’t want to be left behind.

“When will you be back?” Kara tried to not show her disappointment or sadness, but it was hard when Lena was giving her such a gentle look.

Her frown deepening only told Kara she wasn’t going to like the answer. “I’m not quite sure, but… I’ll be preparing to be gone for a month.” Kara’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping. “A month?!” Was she seriously not going to see Lena for an entire month?!

“It’s a long ride, even by myself… At least a weeks’ worth of traveling, not to mention how long I’m going to actually have to be in town solving their problems for them,” Lena explained, eyebrows furrowing with emotion.

It felt like Kara was going to throw up. Her stomach churned with anxiety at the thought of Lena being gone for an entire month. She had no idea why it upset her so much, but figuring that out wasn’t her priority at the moment.

Swallowing hard, Kara started to push away from the table. “Okay… I’m going to go feed and brush Asher.” She felt Lena try and grab her wrist as she stood, her cool fingers brushing against Kara’s slowly warming skin.

Kara pulled away at the contact, not looking back as she practically ran out of the banquet hall. She was walking so fast down the corridors that her saber was smacking heavily against her hip, threatening to leave a bruise with how the thorned knuckle guard kept hitting her.

Stepping out of the castle Kara drew in a deep breath of air. Her stomach relaxed, no longer threatening to expel her breakfast, but the anxiety still sat heavy on her chest. Trying not to have a complete breakdown, Kara hurried through the stable court yard to where her mare was stabled.

Spending time with Asher seemed to calm Kara just a little bit. Her frustration at the situation lessened as Kara accepted that Lena had to go do her duty whether she liked it or not. She couldn’t ignore Port Ladeea in their time of need just because Kara didn’t want to be alone.

After taking her time brushing and feeding both Asher and Outlaw, Kara figured it was time to stop pouting. She didn’t want Lena to leave without getting a chance to say goodbye.

Brushing the dust and dirt from her hands, Kara made her way back to the castle with a sigh. She went straight up to Lena’s room, happy to see that she hadn’t left yet.

Her back was turned to Kara, fidgeting with something that looked to be a traveling bag on her bed. She didn’t hear Kara come into the room, nor did she notice her even as she got right in back of her. Lena seemed to be struggling with a knotted tie on her bag, cussing in frustration under her breath.

For some reason hearing her little huffs of frustration and seeing her struggle with the tie made Kara’s heart swell with something that felt strangely like affection. All her negative emotions about Lena leaving her disappeared seeing such a powerful woman having such a hard time with something so simple.

“Do you need help?” Kara asked, peering directly over Lena’s shoulder. Not expecting someone to be right behind her, Lena gave a high-pitched yelp, spinning to automatically smack at whoever was talking in her ear.

Surprisingly Kara managed to catch Lena’s wrist before her open palm made contact with her cheek. Lena’s eyes were wide, her face red from the rush of adrenaline. “What the fuck?!” Lena barked at her, pulling her wrist out from Kara’s grasp.

She tried to put on an angry face, but seeing Kara smile down at her seemed to make the façade melt slightly. “I was asking if you needed help,” Kara repeated, gesturing to the bag with her chin. Lena glanced back at what she was doing, huffing in- adorable –frustration.

“The damn tie has a mind of its own,” Lena grumbled, stepping to the side so that Kara could take a look at the knot. “Here, let me try,” Kara chuckled, starting to mess with the tie. Lena watched her for a moment before she started to move around the room, grabbing clothing and other things.

The two women were silent for a moment before Kara spoke again, continuing to work her fingers. “So when do you leave?” She glanced up at Lena from across the bed, meeting her green eyes. Her face was relaxed, eyes becoming… affectionate?

“As soon as I’m packed… Will you see me off?” Her head tilted in question, a strand of black hair from her ponytail framing one side of her face. “Of course,” Kara agreed without thinking, “I’ll even ride with you to the gates if you’d like.”

Lena’s wide smile probably should have made Kara question the other woman’s emotion behind being escorted by her, but she was too interested in how bright her eyes looked to really care. “I’d love that,” Lena said through her smile.

Feeling her cheeks warm up, Kara looked back down at what she was doing. For a brief moment she wondered if she should take her time with the tie, considering it’s what was keeping Lena at the castle just a little longer.

But Kara didn’t want to prolong Lena’s journey any more than necessary; the faster she could leave, the faster she could get back home.

After Kara finally managed to get the bag open, she helped Lena pack her things into the large sack, putting everything inside in a very specific order. Her and Lena talked casually as they packed together, Kara watching her stroll around the room.

Once everything was put together Kara tossed the strap of the bag over her shoulder, despite Lena’s outstretched hand. “I can hold my own back, you know,” Lena huffed, raising her eyebrow. “I’m very aware,” Kara replied stubbornly, still not handing the bag over.

Despite Lena’s sigh and rolling eyes, she smirked as she turned to lead the way out of the castle. Kara followed closely, trying to ignore the dull pain in her chest with each step closer towards the stables.

“You know… I _was_ going to suggest we go for a swim at the falls today, but now that you’re leaving… I guess we can’t,” Kara mumbled, pouting slightly. She hadn’t returned to the waterfalls with Lena since they first went, and she’d been longing to go back ever since.

Lena glanced to her, quirking an eyebrow. “It’s not like I’m never coming back… I’ll return in a few weeks.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to go when you get back… The day of- or after if you’re too tired.”

“Okay, it’s a date.”

Kara’s face erupted in a blush at the word ‘date’, her chest fluttering. She was aware Lena was closely watching her, but she refused to meet her smug gaze. Kara went silent as they walked through the castle, trying to control her thundering heart.

Reaching the stables, Kara continued to stubbornly hold onto Lena’s bag as they saddled their horses and started their journey to the outside of the city. “I’ll give it to you when we have to part ways,” was Kara’s reply when Lena tried to berate her for not giving her the bag back.

They light-heartedly bantered almost the entire way to the gates of the city. 

Lena visibly frowned the closer they got, slowing Outlaw down just before the large iron gate. Kara didn’t stop Asher, however, looking back to Lena with an arched eyebrow.

“Why are you slowing?” She questioned.

“You said to the gates…”

“That doesn’t mean _at_ the gates… Come on, I’ll walk you a little farther.”

Lena visibly fought a wide smile, trying to keep her face stoic in front of the guards as she kicked Outlaw back into a faster walk. Kara grinned to herself, warmth spreading through her chest at seeing Lena perk up so much.

‘a little farther’ turned out to be completely through the moors, until eventually they reached the edge of the forest that surrounded National City a few hours after they exited through the gates. This time Kara stopped with Lena when she reined Outlaw back.

“Okay, this time you actually have to head back,” Lena said for the fifth time since they left the city. Kara playfully smirked, looking back to Lena. “Do I?... Really? Come on- say no to me.” 

Kara flashed her best puppy eyes at Lena, having realized the first time she pouted at Lena it completely changed her mind on when Kara should turn back. Once again Lena seemed to melt at the look, the inner corners of her eyebrows raising and her full lips pursing.

But it didn’t stop her from holding her ground this time. “Kara- come on… I don’t want to go either, but you can’t follow me all the way there.”

The finalizing words made Kara frown, sighing heavily. She glanced forward at the line of trees that seemed to be the end of the line for her. “Fine… If you say so.” Kara slid off of Asher, grabbing Lena’s pack from the back of her saddle.

Surprisingly, Lena also got off of her mount, landing softly on the mossy ground while Kara tied the pack onto Outlaw for her. 

“What a gentleman,” Lena joked, smirking while Kara made sure the bag was secure. “Anything for my queen,” Kara replied, mockingly bowing. Lena scoffed, smacking her shoulder.

Kara stood up, her smile wide as she looked down at Lena’s face. They both went silent, mirrored smiles relaxing into sad grins as they just looked at one another. Neither of them knew what to say- how to say goodbye.

Moving into Lena’s personal space, Kara reached up and pressed her palm to Lena’s freshly scarred chest. She could feel the heart under her hand thundering, making her own heart pick up speed. Kara looked up from her hand to Lena’s slightly confused and blushing face.

“Keep this safe for me, okay?... I don’t think either of us can handle you losing it again.”

The look in Lena’s eyes was unreadable as she stared up at Kara. Her smile ebbed away, replaced with something that looked like conflict.

Slowly she leaned forward, tilting her head to ever so gently kiss Kara’s cheek. The feeling of her soft, cool lips on Kara’s warm face sent tingles across the surface of her skin, radiating from the slight smudge of crimson lipstick on her cheek.

“I’ll come home as fast as I can, I promise… Then we can go back to the falls.” Lena’s voice was barely above a whisper, speaking close to Kara’s face. Kara gave a sad smile, silently nodding in agreement.

Reluctantly she backed away from Lena, watching her get back on Outlaw. Lena looked down at her, Kara’s sadness mirrored in her eyes. “I’ll be here when you get back,” Kara quietly promised just before Lena kicked Outlaw into a quick trot.

She didn’t get back onto Asher until she was certain she couldn’t see nor hear Lena, her heart heavy in her chest.

**********

Kara’s eyes scanned over the pages of her book, casually sitting with her back against a tree as she sipped her now lukewarm cup of tea. She was sitting in the castle gardens- a small area with lots of trees and flowers that she’d discovered while looking over some remodeling plans in the West Wing.

She was trying to distract herself from the disappointment that had settled in her chest last night after realizing that Lena wasn’t going to be back exactly when she said she was going to be. She was due to return yesterday, but even after Kara waited all day and almost all night she still hadn’t returned.

Sam mentioned that morning at breakfast that Lena had sent a falcon a few days ago saying there was some bad weather looming overhead on the day of her departure from the North. “She probably had to slow down because of the rain,” Sam rationalized.

The words didn’t help with Kara’s frustration- in fact it only made it worse. Lena was literally a demon who could control water, why couldn’t she just stop the rain?! Not to mention she seemed to forego writing Kara any letters… She hadn’t heard from her in over a month now.

Angrily flipping the page in her book, Kara huffed. She tried to keep her annoyance under control, reaching back down to grab her tea to take a sip. She had just glanced up when she noticed the figure walking towards her, appearing from around the trees.

“It took you long enough,” Kara grumbled, shutting her book sharply as she watched Lena walk closer. The smile that had started to pull on Lena’s lips disappeared into a look of surprised confusion. “I’m only half a day late?” Lena defended.

Standing up, Kara grabbed her tea and book. “It’s still late- _and_ you didn’t even bother to at least saying hello in your letters.” She brushed passed Lena, who seemed to get more and more confused by the second.

“I didn’t know you wanted me to say hello!” She turned and jogged after Kara, who kept her pace brisk. “Why would I want to be ignored?” Kara shot back, glaring at Lena as she pushed the door to the castle open.

“I wasn’t ignoring you, Kara! I was just extremely busy, and the only letter I could get out was to both you and Sam to let you guys know I’d be held back because of the weather.”

“You’re shit at writing letters, then… And at controlling the weather! You’re the queen of the sea! You _literally_ control water…”

“I can’t just hold back the rain for an entire week- do you know how exhausting that would be?”

Kara trotted up the stairs of Lena’s tower two at a time. She refused to respond to Lena’s excuse, her jaw tightly clenched shut.

She had just shouldered the door to Lena’s room open, prepared to ignore her for a little while longer when suddenly her wrist was being grabbed and yanked towards Lena. Kara gasped, feeling fingers grip her waist tightly, holding her so close she could feel Lena’s breath on her face.

“Stop ignoring me, Kara,” she growled through clenched teeth, her green eyes the color of ice. She was very obviously angry, her face hard as stone. A shiver rolled down Kara’s back as she stared down at the woman holding her.

She bit the inside of her cheek nervously, blue eyes flickering between green. “Okay,” Kara breathed, her eyes naturally glancing down towards crimson lips, “I just missed you…” Lena’s face softened slightly, her grip loosening, but she still looked annoyed.

“You have a weird way of showing that you missed me,” Lena tensely mumbled.

“I guess we’re both really bad at communicating, then,” Kara offered, trying to lessen Lena’s annoyance at her.

It seemed to work, her eyes returning to their emerald green slowly as she fully released Kara’s wrist. Lena moved back, relaxing as she sighed heavily. “You have no idea how much I just wanted to leave early and come back here… That town was a fucking nightmare,” Lena admitted.

She moved to sit on the edge of her desk while Kara slowly shuffled to put the book she was reading back on the second story shelf. “Tell me about it?” She looked down to Lena, who was watching her quietly.

Visibly contemplating if she should or not, Lena paused before launching into her story of what was going on in her life for the past month. By the end of the story Kara was staring at Lena with a horrified face, sitting on the mahogany desk while Lena slouched in her chair.

“That sounds… Like purgatory, honestly,” Kara blinked, trying to process the shit show that Lena had to go through. “It felt like it… How was National City?” Lena leaned her chin onto a perched fist, looking up to Kara with a small smile, as if she was happy just to look at her.

Kara explained some of the hiccups her and Sam had to work through; there was a mass bar brawl the second week into Lena being gone, where they had to sit on a court hearing for each and every person involved in the fight.

She also mentioned how the renovations to the West Wing were going, explaining that she even helped the builders a few times by spending a day putting up some of the walls, or clearing a room of all the moss and plants that grew inside of it.

Towards the end of her flustered story she noticed Lena was watching her with a rather affectionate gaze. Kara trailed off mid-sentence, giving Lena a questioning arch of her eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me light that?” She felt her cheeks blush red, feeling awkward under such green eyes.

“You’re just… Really cute when you’re frustrated about something you care about.” Kara’s already red face turned crimson as her eyes went wide. She could feel the blush creeping into the tips of her ears and down her neck.

Lena laughed, the sound oddly attractive to Kara as she smiled at her. Kara had to turn away, only getting more flustered at how much she liked the musical noise. 

By now Kara had started to notice her feelings for Lena, but they were something she had yet to explore. It always worried her how emotional she got around the older woman, so she tried to actively ignore it- like she had been for the past four months now.

But it was hard to ignore how attached she was getting when something as simple as Lena’s laugh sent butterflies roaring through her stomach. She felt like a love-struck teenager with how good the woman in front of her made her feel.

Eventually Lena managed to rein in her laughter, simply smirking at Kara as she tried to get her red cheeks under control. Clearing her throat, Kara shifted. “So, uh… Do you still want to go to the waterfalls tomorrow?”

Lena tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow. “Tomorrow? Are you busy right now?” Kara had set today aside as a day for herself, so it worked out perfectly that Lena still wanted to go, even after traveling all morning.

“I mean, no… Are you sure? Don’t you want to rest a little?” Kara raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips as she watched Lena scoff. “I’ll have time to relax in the pool… Meet me in the stables?”

Kara was pushing off of the desk and nodding faster than she would have liked, her enthusiasm noticed by Lena with a smirk. Ignoring the face, Kara trotted down the stairs to grab some spare clothing from her room. It didn’t take long to gather everything she needed, quickly making her way to the stables.

Lena was just pulling Asher out of her stall when Kara strolled into the stables. “Outlaw’s still pretty exhausted from the journey home, so I figured we could ride double,” Lena explained towards Kara’s questioning look.

“Oh, uhm, yeah… Okay.” Kara had no idea why the idea of riding double with Lena made her stomach swoop so dramatically, but it was incredibly difficult to ignore.

Grabbing her saddle, she equipped Asher with everything, Lena helping with the bridle and reins. Once everything was strapped on properly, and Asher was walked out of the stables, Kara pulled herself onto her mare’s back.

She extended a hand down to Lena, easily pulling her up onto Asher with one arm. Lena scooted close, placing her hands on Kara’s hips as she kicked Asher into a slow walk.

“Are you sure you don’t care that people will see you on the back of my horse?” Kara questioned, trying to ignore the way Lena leaned forward into her back to listen to her words.

“Nah… If they ask too many question’s, just stab them.”

“…Stab them?...”

“Yeah… Politely.”

The words made Kara burst out laughing, hugging her stomach as tears threatened to stream down her face. Lena chuckled from behind her, amused by her reaction to the joke. “P-Please don’t stab anyone,” Kara begged through her laughter, glancing back at Lena’s beaming smile.

The rest of the ride continued on like that, the two women joking and talking light heartedly. Lena continued to lean close into Kara’s back, but by the time they reached the forest it was a very comforting pressure.

Following Lena’s casual directions, they managed to get to the waterfall in only a few hours. Stopping Asher a few feet from the bank, Kara let Lena slide off of the mare first before dismounting herself.

It probably shouldn’t have surprised- or flustered –Kara so much when she looked up from removing her boots to see that Lena was removing her shirt completely... But by now a lot of things shouldn’t have effected Kara that did.

She tried not to stare, but it was hard to pull her eyes away from such an attractive figure. The only thing that made Kara finally look away was when she realized she had frozen halfway through pulling her boot off, and was starting to lose her balance.

Catching herself on a tree trunk, Kara leaned against the harsh wood to continue removing her boot and socks, setting them to the side. By then Lena was stepping out of her pants, tossing them to the ground in a heap before she started to step into the water.

“Woah- It’s a little colder today than it was last time,” Lena said in a voice full of laughter and shock. Kara watched her slowly wade into the deep pool, glancing back at her with an arched eyebrow. “Am I going to have to bargain with you again to get you to relax and take off your clothes?”

“N-No…” Kara stumbled as she pulled her pants off, trying to not watch Lena too much as she dipped down to her chest into the pool. She pulled her shirt off and tied her hair into a bun before stiffly following Lena’s lead.

She had been right; the water as significantly colder than it was on the much warmer day they first visited the waterfall. Kara gasped, flexing her stomach as she tensed her shoulders. She got to about mid-thigh before looking up to see that Lena had a very odd look on her face.

Her eyes were dark green, lips slightly parted as she stared at Kara. She had looked last time as well, but this time it was much more… Obvious. She didn’t have such a hungry look the first time, either.

“Uhm… Lena?” The sound of Kara talking seemed to snap Lena out of her haze. She blinked up at Kara, eyebrows lifting and cheeks flushing. “Uh… Sorry, Sweetheart… Got lost in thought.”

Kara nibbled her lower lip, moving further into the water. The flirtiness in her mind wanted Kara to ask what Lena was thinking about, but the fear of ruining the day before it even began kept her mouth shut.

Instead, Kara just walked until the water was all the way to her shoulders, breathing through her mouth at the brisk temperature. She looked over to Lena, smiling wide as they met eyes. “I’m already enjoying this a lot more than last time,” Kara admitted.

Last time she’d been so worried that Lena was taking her out to the falls to kill her that she couldn’t enjoy herself. That, and the way things ended kind of soured the memory for Kara. This time it was much more relaxed, filled with much more positive emotions.

Lena beamed, humming happily at the knowledge that Kara was actually enjoying herself. “Good- we both deserve to have some fun, finally.” Kara returned the smile, chuckling.

“Do you know what would make this even more fun?” Kara teased, glancing up towards the top of the waterfall. Lena quirked her brow, following Kara’s glance. “If you did a backflip off of the waterfall…”

“I will if you do.”

“Deal- I’m gonna show you up so bad!”

The next few hours were filled with the two grown adults acting as if they were teenagers again. Kara did in fact show Lena up with all the cool moves she could do while jumping off of the waterfall. They splashed around, Lena showing Kara that she could breathe under water- even though after five minutes Kara dove in after her, convinced she passed out.

Eventually they both stepped out of the pool to lay on the moss covered rocks to relax, but when the sun started to get too hot for Kara she dipped back into the pool, leaning into the boulder-strewn banks instead.

The sound of Lena quietly splashing back into the pool after about an hour made Kara open her eyes, turning to see her moving to relax next to her. It was shallow enough for both of them to stand, Kara watching Lena relax so close to her that their shoulders almost touched.

Lena looked back at Kara, smirking and raising her eyebrow when she noticed Kara’s small, thoughtful smile. “What?” She giggled, raising an eyebrow.

To be honest Kara had no idea why she was staring; maybe it was the way the sunlight made it look like Lena had a halo around her raven black hair, or maybe it was the fact that she felt the presents of the woman next to her extremely comforting.

Kara shrugged, glancing away silently. Lena laughed, berating her on her silence. “Hey, don’t ignore me!” She gently splashed at Kara’s neck, making the other woman laugh. “Then don’t splash me!” Kara playfully complained.

In the rush of the moment, Kara reached over and picked Lena up by the waist. Lena gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms and legs around Kara as she took a step or two away from the steep bank they were leaning against.

They both paused, staring at one another as they softly chuckled. Kara broke her eyes away to glance at the pink scars that decorated Lena’s chest.

The memory made Kara frown, saddened by the fact that Lena had been so confused in that moment that she had harmed herself so drastically. But at the same time, that night had been such a turning point in their relationship.

Lena noticed Kara’s deep frown, her eyebrows furrowing briefly. “Hey… It’s okay… I’m all better now,” she whispered, reaching down to grab one of Kara’s arms in the water. She guided the arm up, her hand sliding to Kara’s wrist as she moved her palm to press against the scars.

“I’m not scared anymore…”

Kara could feel that nervous rhythm that seemed to constantly match her own under her palm. It was like their thoughts were the same in that moment; worried about what the other was thinking, and confused what they were feeling deep inside.

The realization made Kara decide that- even if it confused her –she wanted to follow these feelings towards Lena. 

She wanted to dive off the deep end see if Lena would dive with her.

“Lena, I…” Kara started to whisper, but trailed off. She didn’t know how to put her emotions- her desires –into words. She feared rejection, but her stubborn heart refused to let her stop.

Lena furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes painfully soft as they glanced between Kara’s. “You what, Sweetheart?”

Whether it was the affection in her face, or the endearing nickname that made Kara suddenly surge forward was unclear.

All that Kara knew was that she wanted to show Lena how much she cared in as many ways possible.

One of those ways being probably one of the deepest kisses Kara had ever experienced, with one of the most mysterious people she had ever met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeh? :D  
> Lot's of fluff in this one... I hope I'm not moving too fast, I'm just tired of the angst and negative emotions. Smooches have been on my mind all day, so that's what we're getting.  
> Also next chapter will be in Lena's POV.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, as always!  
> -Aries


	11. Line Without a Hook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena decide to follow their feelings for one another. Lena also surprises Kara with a gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, as well as the next (Probably) are pretty short, so I apologize for that. School's pretty busy, and I've got a lot going on in the next few days. I just didn't want leave you guys hanging and to have to wait to see Lena's reaction to the kiss.
> 
> But anyways, enjoy! (This chapter is 110% fluff, because I said so, lmao.)  
> -Aries

Kara’s lips were simultaneously soft yet firm as they moved against Lena’s. The sudden kiss made Lena gasp, all the air leaving her lungs as warmth spread across her cool skin, tingling just along the surface. 

Lena’s hands instinctually reached up to gripped Kara’s face, nails dragging slightly against the blushing cheeks of the woman who held her as her fingers subconsciously curled.

The kiss was full of so much passion that it made Lena feel like she was free falling. 

Constant fluttering butterflies roared through her stomach and chest as she refused to let Kara even pull away to catch her breath. She only managed to get away for a brief second before Lena was crashing their lips together one more.

It felt so sinfully good to be in Kara’s arms, moving slightly against those wonderfully firm abs, feeling her jaw moving with each passionate kiss under her palms.

Not even Kara swiping her tongue along Lena’s bottom lip made her question what was going on, whining softly at the textured sensation.

It was only when she felt Kara starting to move through the water, turning them and pushing her back a little roughly against the steep bank of the pool that made Lena finally pause to think for a moment.

She pulled away, chest heaving and lips swollen from so much intensity. Kara’s blue eyes were almost completely engulfed in dark pupils, a hazy look spreading across her face as she too struggled for breath.

Lena had paused to look at her beauty, almost completely forgetting the swirling questions that tore through her mind like a hurricane. Her strong jaw, full lips, perfect eyebrows… She was too much- Aphrodite sent from above.

Kara moved forward to continue their fiery kiss when Lena suddenly dropped her hands to push against her chest, stopping her from getting any closer. “Kara, wait-“ she froze at the sound of Lena’s voice, blinking in confusion as her eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you sure?” Lena questioned, stomach doing a back flip out of fear. She really didn’t want to question what was going on between them, but the need to make sure Kara wasn’t making a decision she was going to regret later on over ruled her feelings for the blonde woman holding her.

The hazy look started to fade from Kara’s face at the question, a deep groove appearing between her brows as she lowered and furrowed them more. “What do you mean?” She wasn’t prepared for the question, unable to figure out Lena’s words through her desire to keep kissing her.

“I mean… I don’t want you to regret this,” Lena bit her lip, her fear starting to creep onto her face despite her best efforts, “I don’t want you to realize what’s going on too late, and end up hurting yourself...”

Despite Lena’s hands against her shoulders, Kara was able to push in a little closer, pressing her hot forehead to Lena’s much cooler one. “I’m not going to regret this, Lena… I am one hundred percent aware of what I’m doing.”

Her voice was possibly the softest Lena had ever heard it. She spoke with so much emotion, affection and understanding literally dripping from each syllable. Her eyes were gentle as they scanned all over Lena’s face, a small smile pulling at her pink lips. 

Even with the reassuring words, however, Lena didn’t let go of her confusion. She frowned, shifting slightly in Kara’s hold. “I don’t understand,” she whispered, “After all I’ve done… I don’t know if I deserve the look you’re giving me right now.”

Lena tried to pull away, her heart starting to grow heavy with guilt and sadness. Kara didn’t let her lean away, pressing her firmly against the rough texture of the rock against her back. 

“Remember what I told you the night you finally opened up to me?”

“You told me a lot of things…”

“Yeah, well I also told you that I’ll be the one deciding what you do and don’t deserve… Even if I haven’t quite forgiven you, that doesn’t mean I can’t have feelings for you. It just means that we’ll have to work together to fix it all.”

She leaned forward to punctuate her words with a soft kiss, pulling away after a brief second to continue staring at Lena with one of the most affectionate looks someone could possibly give. It made Lena want to cry, her body heating with affection for the blonde woman in front of her.

“So you… So you actually have feelings for me?... This isn’t just a onetime fling?” Lena continued to anxiously bite her lip, chewing off whatever lipstick that hadn’t already washed away.

Kara smiled, reaching a hand out of the water to gently stop Lena from her nervous nibbling. “I would never do something like that, Lena; I really do care for you... I’m not quite sure where my feelings will lead, but I’m willing to try and follow them if you are.”

Lena was silent for a long moment as she just stared at Kara. Never had she imagined she’d be having this conversation with her. When Lena had discovered her feelings for Kara, she was content on keeping them locked away forever.

She didn’t think Kara could possibly feel anywhere close to the same. In Lena’s mind she thought Kara only saw her as an acquaintance- _maybe_ a friend on their good days. 

But to then be told that all her assumptions were nowhere close to what she originally thought? It was a happy surprise to say the least.

“So?... Are you willing to try?” Kara’s voice broke Lena out of her thoughts. She realized she had been silent for a while, just staring Kara in the eyes as she zoned out. Blinking, Lena struggled to get her mind back on track.

“Oh- I uh… Y-Yeah… I’m more than willing.”

The smiled that beamed across Kara’s face was nothing short of heavenly. Lena replied with her own smile, all her questions and anxiety fading away now that she had confirmed that Kara felt the same way.

This time Lena initiated the kiss, her arms wrapping around Kara’s neck.

Compared to their first kiss, this one was much slower. They were testing each other out, seeing what boundaries they could find now that it was clear to them that they had plenty of time to do whatever they wanted later.

Strong arms shifted underneath Lena’s rear, Kara gripping onto her own forearms respectfully. It was sweet, and Lena appreciated how thoughtful she was being.

But it didn’t stop Lena from briefly pulling away to look at Kara’s slightly pink face. 

“You can move your hands, you know.”

“I didn’t want to move too fast…”

“Would it help if I started first?”

Lena’s arms unwrapped from Kara’s neck, one wresting on the back of her shoulders while the other started to slide down towards her sternum. She kept the touches chased, figuring it’d be better for both of them.

Kara’s eyes fluttered at the sensation of Lena simply touching her in such a soft way. It occurred to her that she never really touched Kara much, having always kept her physical distance. It was only just recently that she allowed their bodies to graze against each other every once and a while.

With Lena’s permission, Kara started to move her arms out from under her. Lena easily held herself up, thighs tightening around an unfairly trim waist. She placed one palm against a flexing thigh while the other moved feather-light against the small of Lena’s back, and around to her side.

Lena smiled sweetly, happiness warming her entire body despite the brisk temperature of the water. She leaned back in to gently kiss Kara, sighing contently. Her fingertips glided up Kara’s chest, brushing against her throat and pulse point.

They both stayed like that for a long while; just exploring the other. It was slow and sweet, filled with expanding emotions and new feelings. Lena was content to stay like that for hours, already falling in love with the sensation of Kara’s gentle fingers flexing against her.

The only thing that made Lena finally pull away was when she realized that Kara was starting to shiver. She’d been so enraptured with the kisses and touches that she didn’t think much about how- as the sun went down –the water in the pool was getting colder.

Looking up, it was obvious that there was maybe an hour and a half before the sun would start to set. Lena frowned at the sky, despising that this meant they had to go back to the castle.

Kara also looked up, sighing as she recognized that their date was now over. “Come on,” Lena mumbled, starting to unwrap her legs from Kara’s waist, “Let’s get back so you can eat dinner on time.”

Letting Lena move away, Kara followed her back onto the bank of the river. Patting themselves dry with their pervious shirts, both of them stepped away to dress into new undergarments and clothes. Once they were both comfortable, Lena throwing her hair up into a bun to match Kara, they got onto Asher and started to ride back to National City.

Just like before, Lena sat close to Kara, wrapping her arms testingly around her waist. Kara didn’t pull her arms away or show any discomfort; if anything she actually leaned back into Lena’s touch, a small smile pulling at her lips.

Comfortable silence fell over them as they slowly rode out of the thick forest. It wasn’t until Lena could see the high walls of National City that she finally asked the question that’d been on her mind since their earlier conversation.

“So uh… Is it too early to ask what our relationship is now?”

Kara turned her head slightly to listen to the older woman’s words, chuckling softly. “I’m content with calling you my girlfriend, but if you’d like a different title-“

“No, no… Girlfriend is perfectly fine,” Lena quickly replied, her stomach doing excited backflips at the new name. She nuzzled slightly closer into Kara’s neck, her cheeks blushing bright red.

Humming chuckles rumbled through Kara, the noise vibrating against Lena’s chest as she pushed into her _girlfriends_ back.

There was another silent pause before Kara asked her own question. “And what about publicity?... I assume you don’t want everyone knowing we’re together.”

Lena frowned, sighing at the unfortunate truth. “I wish we could be open about it, but… It’d be too dangerous. I’ve got plenty of enemies that would love to try getting to me through you.” She could feel Kara frown without even looking at her face, but regardless she nodded in agreement.

“Okay… I think I can handle that… For the sake of communication, though; I’m very affectionate. Physical contact is one of my love languages.” Lena laughed, nodding against her shoulder as she squeezed her arms a little tighter.

“I’m more than okay with that,” she hummed, sitting up slightly to kiss just behind Kara’s ear.

**********

Before Lena even knew it, an entire week had passed since her and Kara had gotten together. It was an incredibly busy week, full of meetings with the builders, and trips all over town to handle certain complaints about some things around town.

Not to mention Lena was also secretly working on cleaning up a new room for Kara; she’d been living in the same tiny, windowless servants room for over six months now. Lena felt bad knowing she probably hated the bland stone room, and that she deserved something more civilized and open.

So, Lena had gone looking for a new area for her to stay in. 

There were multiple square turrets positioned all around the castle, most of them empty. Lucky for Lena, she had discovered that the one almost directly attached to her own tower was also vacant.

Investigating the empty section of the castle, it was fortunate that- although incredibly dusty and in need of some slight repairs –it was livable.

During the night Lena would wait for Kara to go to bed- she’d gotten in the habit of visiting Lena before she went to sleep, to give her plenty of hugs and kisses –before sneaking into the small tower to clean and decorate the upper room for her girlfriend.

The last few things the room needed before it was livable was for the bed and it’s frame to be made, as well as one of the fireplaces to be repaired and stocked for when the nights were cold. Lena had commissioned a carpenter at the very beginning of her secret mission to build an intricate bed frame specifically for Kara, as well as Tifa La Mode for the bed cover.

The carpenter had just finally finished it yesterday morning, and Lena requested that he move the bed into the room; as well as fix the fireplace’s few blemishes overnight. 

With a hefty amount of gold in his pocket, the carpenter agreed.

Unfortunately, however, he seemed to be taking his sweet time. Lena guided him and his team up to the tower just after Kara went to bed around 10pm, but it was now 7am and they still weren’t done. Lena could only hope that Kara didn’t notice the builders or go exploring for some reason today.

Figuring she still had time before Kara was up and heading to meet her for the day’s work, Lena decided to go see what progress the builders had made.

She was just about to walk up the grand spiraling staircase when she heard her name being called. “Capin’ Athena!” Lena turned to see that the head carpenter was briskly walking over to her, a half-eaten roll in his hand.

Lena raised her eyebrow silently, glancing between the breakfast and the man’s face. Had he seriously stopped his very important work for food? “ ‘ave you been up yet? Me ‘n the boys are almost finished, I believe.”

“You believe?” Lena’s unenthused eyebrow raised even more, her green eyes growing cold. The rugged carpenter suddenly became sheepish seeing her disapproval. “Y-Yeah… Me daughter needed me early this mornin’, so I lef’ a little early. I swear me guys are still up there, workin’ real hard!”

Frustration rolled down Lena’s spine as she struggled to keep her teeth from cracking with how tightly she was clenching them. 

“This was supposed to be done last night… How long does it take you to put a bed frame together and fill a few holes?”

“All due respect, Capin’, but it were a little more than just filling holes and putting a few dowels in some wood… I promise, though, we’re almost done!”

Lena had to close her eyes as she took in a deep breath of air, trying to calm herself.

“Fine,” she grumbled, slowly letting the air out, “let me know when it’s done.” 

Deciding she was too annoyed to go up and see how the progress was, Lena turned on the heels of her boots and returned to her own tower.

She was just about to push her double doors open when suddenly they opened on their own. Lena froze, flinching in surprise when she almost pushed right into Kara’s broad chest. “Oh- there you are,” Kara breathlessly greeted, very clearly surprised as well.

Seeing the way the light from her windows backlit Kara’s curls, making them literally glow like a halo, Lena instantly forgot her annoyance. Her frustration was quickly replaced with affection for the woman in front of her. 

“Good morning,” Lena greeted back, pressing her palms to Kara’s hips to push her further into her room.

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, but let her girlfriend guide her backwards until her thighs hit the heavy mahogany desk. Lena leaned up onto her tip toes, grabbing the open collar of Kara’s shirt to pull her down enough so that they could kiss each other.

To Kara, she’d just seen Lena a little while ago, but to Lena it’d been ten whole hours since she got to kiss those addictive lips. She smiled into the firm kiss, moving passionately against Kara.

Removing a hand from her girlfriend’s collar, Lena reached up and started to run her fingers through the roots of Kara’s hair. Kara sighed at the show of affection, shifting her stance a little wider so she was a lower, allowing Lena to move in close between her legs.

They held the kiss for a long while, Kara’s hands gently resting on Lena’s waist. It seemed to be her favorite place to grab, mentioning that it was, “an intimate yet respectful place to touch,” when Lena had asked her about it one night.

Eventually Lena did pull away, dropping back onto the heels of her boots as she smiled up to Kara. “Did you miss me?” Kara laughed, earning another brief kiss. “Of course I did… How did you sleep?”

Kara shrugged slightly, adjusting the saber that she always kept at her side. She seemingly was trying to avoid the question, not wanting to say anything negative after such a sweet moment. But she still had to answer truthfully, sighing with a tiny frown.

“I think it’s because I can’t see outside, but it’s really hard to fall asleep sometimes,” she mumbled, glancing down to her girlfriend. Lena bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to give away that Kara wouldn’t have to deal with that for much longer.

Instead she gently soothed Kara with soft promises of letting her take a nap between the projects that needed to be done today. 

“Could you lay with me while I sleep?” Kara tentatively questioned, obviously testing out how Lena felt with the prospect of cuddles.

Of course she smiled wide at the idea, nodding in agreement. “I’d love to spend time with my girl- of course we can do that, Sweetheart! Why not after lunch, if there’s time?” Kara mirrored the smile, nodding as she bent low to give Lena another affectionate kiss.

With their day planned, they split off to get their work done. Kara had to run down to town for a few hours while Lena had some letters to respond to from the different settlements around the island.

The morning passed by quickly, Lena getting sucked into her writing. She was in the middle of figuring out how to carefully word a reply when she heard a soft knock on her door frame.

Looking up, Lena saw Kara leaning in the doorway with one of the most affectionate looks in the world on her face.

Lena’s face broke into a sweet smile, shifting back in her seat. “Hey, you- how long have you been standing there?” Kara pushed off of the doorway and walked into the room, moving around Lena’s desk to bend and give her a kiss.

“Couple of minutes… You forgot about lunch, didn’t you?” Lena furrowed her eyebrows at the question, confused on what she meant. Lunch? She remembered their plans to rest in the afternoon, but-

“Oh, shit!”

Lena turned so quickly Kara had to suddenly move back to avoid their heads knocking together. She looked at the grand clock against one of the walls, realizing that it was almost 2pm. Lena had promised last night at dinner that she would meet Sam and Kara for lunch in town.

“Fuck- Sweetheart, I’m so sorry, I completely forgot!” Guilt plagued Lena’s new heart, a tight feeling settling high in her chest. She stood and grabbed onto Kara’s hips, pulling her close to pepper her face with apology kisses.

Kara laughed, scrunching her nose as lipstick smudged against her skin. She obviously wasn’t upset, understanding Lena’s business and loss of time. She tried waving Lena off, but her girlfriend kept kissing all along her face.

The only reason Lena pulled away was because she heard voices coming up the stairs of her tower, sounding dangerously close.

Quickly moving away from Kara, Lena pretended like she was moving to grab something off of her desk, while Kara wiped her face with a sleeved arm. Just as she turned around, face flustered, the carpenter and one of his assistance appeared in the doorway.

“Capin’ Athena! I am so terribly sorry, we got so caught up in fixin’ up the room that we didn’ realize what time it was,” the man looked nervous, having already prepared for Lena’s wrath.

Lucky for him, Kara’s presents seemed to keep Lena’s temper under control. She frowned, knowing they were way behind schedule, but considering they were the last ones that needed to work on the room it didn’t set anything behind.

Crossing her arms, Lena tilted her chin slightly as she sighed. “It’s fine- now I know not to hire you to transport items when I’m short for time… If you’re finished, then you’re free to leave.” The man gave an anxious bow of sorts before turning and ushering his friend out of the room.

Lena raised her eyebrow as she watched them leave, not at all impressed, but thankful for her girlfriends calming presents. 

Kara looked to Lena, raising her eyebrow. “What was that all about?”

Now that Lena didn’t have to hide her plans, she fully opened up. “I have a gift for you- consider it my apology for missing lunch with you and Sam today.” Kara scoffed, smiling slightly. “You don’t have to apologize, but I won’t say no to a gift.”

Chuckling, Lena motioned for Kara to follow her. She guided her down her tower and to the closed doors of the empty turret that would soon be her new room. Lena paused at the doors, turning her back to them to meet at Kara’s questioning stare.

“I figured it’s well over due that you have a proper room… One where you can actually get some good sleep in, because you can actually see the time of day.”

The way Kara’s face lit up made Lena’s heart melt, burning with affection. She wanted to grab her face and kiss her till they both passed out, but she restrained herself.

Instead, Lena turned and pushed open the doors, revealing the beautiful staircase that led up to Kara’s new lodgings. “Follow me,” Lena instructed softly as she extended her hand towards Kara.

Without hesitation her girlfriend grabbed the reaching hand, allowing her to be taken all the way to the top of the turret- which was only about two stories, with a few empty rooms here and there.

Reaching the top, there were once again closed doors. Lena let Kara walk ahead of her, pushing the intricately carved double doors open herself.

As soon as Kara could see into the room she audible gasped, freezing only half a step into the room. Lena moved to stand next to her, glancing from the room to her girlfriends face. Kara’s jaw was basically on the floor, her beautiful blue eyes wide as they scanned everything visible just from where she stood.

The walls were tall, painted white with intricate golden designs inlayed through the entire room, accented with even more gold trim. The dark wooden floors were laid in a zig-zagging pattern, multiple thick rugs spread around the room to avoid the furniture from damaging the polish.

Much like Lena’s room, tall windows spread across every wall that faced outside. They were framed with cream curtains that draped all the way to the floor. 

To the far left were two sets of doors on either end of the wall, both intricately designed much like the door to the room, which led to a bathroom so big it was basically another bedroom on its own.

To the right, diagonal from the door, was a large desk that pressed against one of the windowed walls, lined with small bookshelves and even a massive globe. Across from the desk was one of the two massive fireplaces that were set into the wall facing the inside of the castle.

Against the far right wall was the bed Lena had commissioned; It was a king sized, four-poster canopy bed. The drapes and length of fabric hanging from above matched the thick duvet cover; creamy white with swirling, golden thread sewn into a beautiful design that lined the outer edges and center of the covers.

The room was considerably brighter in both color and light compared to Lena’s room. Everything of hers was black and crimson, but Kara’s was white and gold. It showed their personalities well; Lena was dark and brooding, Kara was pure and optimistic.

Lena didn’t realize how nervous she was of Kara’s opinion until she realized that her girlfriend had yet to say anything for over a minute now. Blue eyes just scanned across the room, her mouth open in what Lena hoped was awe.

Anxiously she stepped further into the room, feeling like her dark clothing was much more noticeable in contrast to all the white. “If you don’t like anything, we can of course change it up… Although the bed’s a little irreversible; the carpenter was working on it for a week.”

She gestured to the bed frame, which upon closer inspection had a beautiful swirling floral design all along the posters and base. The headboard was tall and curving, lacking a footboard so the user could get in from three different sides. It was stained a deep brown, probably being the only dark piece of furniture in the room.

Lena was just about to continue on with her nervous rambling when suddenly she felt Kara grabbing her hips and quickly turning her around so they faced one another. Lena didn’t even get to blink up at her girlfriend in surprise before their lips were crashing into one another.

At first Lena tensed up in shock at the sudden passion, unable to stop herself from stumbling backwards as Kara started to push her. The only thing that stopped Lena was the wall as she pressed into it roughly.

…Although she was a little too preoccupied with the feeling of Kara’s lips against hers to really care about the way the back of her head smacked against the wall.

Strong fingers dug almost painfully into Lena’s sides as Kara moved feverishly, as if trying to make up for years’ worth of no contact. Of course it didn’t bother Lena, who responded with just as much passion, her heart thundering against her chest.

Reaching up, Lena let her fingers tangle into the golden hair that tickled her face, nails scratching against Kara’s scalp. Her girlfriend made a soft noise against her lips at the sensation, sending a rush of heat through Lena.

Hands that had once been respectfully gripping Lena’s sides were suddenly moving. Kara’s palms pressed firmly against her as they roamed to the side of her back, gliding upwards. Lena could feel her shirt rise slightly as the fabric gathered around Kara’s clenching fingers, the warm air in the room breezing against her cool back.

Suddenly the shirt was dropped as Kara dug her fingers into Lena’s back and dragged them down. Lena arched at the sensation, gasping into her girlfriend’s mouth. But Kara didn’t stop there; Her hands kept moving down until she was almost roughly gripping Lena’s ass.

Flinching at the sudden erotic contact, Lena couldn’t help the small moan that escaped her chest. A swarm of butterflies erupted through her stomach when Kara replied with a deep rumbling noise, heat pooling low in her hips.

In one swift motion Kara lifted her girlfriend up, Lena instinctively wrapping her legs around her waist. She recognized that they were moving, pulling away from the wall Kara had pinned her against to head in some unknown direction.

It wasn’t till Lena’s back hit the plush mattress that she realized Kara had been moving towards the bed. She didn’t even have time to process what was actually happening before her boots had been removed for her, and Kara was back over her.

She kissed Lena with salacious passion, her hands starting to push up under her girlfriend’s shirt. Again Lena gasped, subconsciously pushing up into the contact. Kara’s hands were hot against her skin, fingernails scratching.

Kara moved her kisses away from Lena’s lips, trailing them down her jaw and neck. It felt like Lena’s chest was going to burst with how fast her heart was beating, her entire body begging for Kara to kiss every inch of it.

But as soon as Lena felt Kara’s fingers bump against the bottom of her bra she was suddenly grabbing her wrists, forcing them to stop. “Kara- Sweetheart- wait, please,” Lena panted, her face flushed. Instantly Kara lifted away from her neck, a look of worry settling in dark eyes.

“M-Maybe we should… Should just take a nap,” Lena struggled to get out, her mind screaming in disagreement with her heart. Her girlfriends face dropped, sitting back onto her legs. “Do you not want to?” She frowned, swallowing hard.

Lena moved to also sit up, shifting so she was basically straddling Kara’s lap as she brushed her raven hair from her face impatiently. “No, that’s not it, Sweetheart,” Lena reassured with an affectionate tone, punctuating her words with a brief kiss.

“I think we should slow down, that’s all… This is all really new, and I’d hate to ruin it by moving too fast.” Lena watched as Kara processed her words, that hazy look of arousal in her deep blue eyes that made Lena throb starting to ebb away.

She slowly nodded in agreement, her frown fading with her carnal desire. “Right, yeah… That’d be smart, wouldn’t it? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you.” Lena gently shook her head, taking Kara’s face in her hands to gently kiss all around it.

“Don’t apologize; I understand what you were trying to do. Let’s just relax together, okay?” Kara nodded in agreement, smiling at Lena’s sweet kisses.

Both women shifted towards the head of the bed together, Lena moving to lay on her back. Kara hovered over her, laying her head down against her girlfriends thundering heart. She smiled a little wider hearing the heavy beat as she tried to snuggle impossibly closer.

Lena chuckled, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend affectionately. Kara’s eyes drifted closed as she hugged Lena, mumbling adoring words before she already started to drift off. The older woman gently stroked her fingers through silky golden locks, a wave of content sentiment passing over her.

“Sleep well, sweet girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will continue from Lena's POV. I'll also be introducing a little mini villain, to extend the plot so it's not just Kara and Lena getting together, then they suddenly have to go fight Victoria.
> 
> Let me know what you guys think as always, and I hope to update soon, but if not I'll see everyone next week! <3  
> -Aries


	12. The New Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena meets someone who's not who he says he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a super short chapter, but I wanted to introduce this character/new situation, and then switch back to Kara's POV.  
> Also I'm aware that Kara seems extra horny because she's been initiating everything, but I like the idea of her being the instigator all the time (Compared to a lot of stuff I've seen/read where it's always Lena who's the sexual one).
> 
> Enjoy meeting this new character!  
> -Aries

Lena nibbled her lower lip as she looked down at the papers in front of her. She leaned forward onto her elbows, pressing her index and middle fingers to both temples as she stared down at the letter that was giving her one of the worst headaches she’s ever had. Her green eyes bore into the paper, as if she was hoping to catch it on fire.

She sighed heavily, squeezing her dry eyes shut for a moment before blinking them open.

The noise of someone shuffling behind her was briefly noticeable, but Lena’s mind was too focused on what was in front of her to pay much attention. 

She was just about to reach and grab a quill to possibly start working her own strongly worded letter out on fresh paper when calloused hands started to press into her hunched back.

“You’ve been sighing like that for the past hour… Maybe you should take a break?”

Kara’s voice was soft and sweet behind Lena, filling her chest with affection. She was rubbing her back gently, using just enough pressure to work at the tense muscles. 

The contact sent shivers rolling up Lena’s spine, sighing much more happily at the way her girlfriend massaged her thumbs between her shoulder blades.

“Do you have an idea in how I can take a break?” Lena turned her head to look at Kara in her peripheral after a long moment, enjoying the massage. Her girlfriend had a small smile tugging at her pink lips, shrugging slightly. “I’m not sure- maybe we can celebrate our one-month anniversary a few days past the actual date?... Is it weird to celebrate that?”

Lena laughed lightly, shifting to sit up straight despite the fingers working against her tense muscles. Kara dropped her hands, moving to lean the back of her hips on the desk. For a moment Lena was silent, just looking at Kara with all the affection in the world.

Shifting further back into her seat, Lena silently beckoned her closer with an outstretched hand. Kara didn’t even hesitate to move into her girlfriend’s lap, the large chair big enough to let her rest her knees on either side of Lena’s thighs while she straddled her.

Lena rested her hands on Kara’s hips, looking up at her sweet face with a smile. “Do you have any ideas on how you want to start celebrating one month together?” 

It’d been a while since Lena had celebrated any sort of romantic anniversary.

The only relationship that lasted over two weeks ended with her becoming a heartless demon, so she wasn’t exactly fond of staying with one woman for over a few days. Lena had a few flings here and there after Victoria, but they were mostly one night stands with the cute girls of the city. 

It was never very satisfying, and made Lena feel like she was even emptier by the end of it all.

“Well… I can think of one thing,” Kara said, her voice lowering to a whisper as she leaned down. Her lips were soft against Lena’s, her palms calloused as they rested against slightly blushing cheeks.

Despite over thirty days of getting to kiss and hold Kara, she still got slightly flustered, her heart quickening it’s pace as soon as their lips touched.

It quickened even more as Kara started to shift down to rest fully against Lena’s upper thighs, her weight comforting if not sensual. She sighed contently, moving her lips slowly against Lena as her fingers twitched lightly against her cheeks. Lena involuntarily tightened her grip against Kara’s waste, trying not to groan too audibly.

Kara pulled away not even a centimeter, her lips still brushing against Lena’s as she spoke. “Is this okay?” Her voice was hardly a whisper, a slightly raspy tone punctuating it. 

Too awe struck at how attractive her girlfriend was, all Lena could do was nod and whisper a tiny, “Yeah,” before leaning back into the kiss.

They were slow, Lena’s hands moving at a snail’s pace as she started to shift them up her girlfriend’s side. Kara moved her hands off of her face, instead resting against the front of her chest. 

The kiss was sweet and full of what Lena could only describe as love. The way they moved in sync, shifting and parting together as if they could read the others mind. 

Lena’s thumbs brushed against the sides of Kara’s breasts before shifting back to rest on her shoulder blades, nails dragging over the rough cloth of her deep blue shirt.

It wasn’t until Kara started to shift her hips- either to get more comfortable, or to purposefully tease Lena, who knows –that things started to pick up in speed. Lena dropped her hands to the back of Kara’s hips, guiding them to continue doing the thing that just sent butterflies erupting through her stomach.

The breathy whine that her girlfriend let out at the hands on her hips made Lena’s heart skip multiple beats. 

She sharply inhaled, eyebrows furrowing as she struggled to keep the sudden rush of erotic energy through her veins under control.

Lena leaned heavily into the kiss, Kara having to tilt backwards slightly at how much her girlfriend was pushing forward. She gasped when long pale fingers suddenly moved down to grab her shifting rear, squeezing as they pushed her to move her hips more firmly.

The hands that had rested respectfully on Lena’s chest were now starting to move to match her energy. Kara reached with one hand to undo Lena’s pinned up bun so she could roughly run her fingers through raven locks. The other moved to the front buckles of the under bust corset Lena had chosen to wear that day, tugging at them with attractively deft fingers.

“Why did you have to wear something so complicated today?” Kara grouched in a rough voice, pulling away from the kiss to look down at what she was doing. Despite only using one hand, she was expertly undoing all of the decorative silver buckles that hid the clasps of the corset underneath them.

Lena paused for a moment, not answering as her green eyes froze on the beautiful face in front of her. 

Pink swollen lips- which were smudged with her lipstick -parted as Kara struggled to get her breath back; cheeks flushed so red that it was starting to creep down onto her neck and chest; Blue eyes almost engulfed in black pupils, showing how painfully turned on she was.

The erotic look is what solidified Lena’s decision in continuing their passion, too attracted to how Kara looked in that moment to stop what was happening.

Wordlessly she moved back into Kara’s space, reconnecting their lips with as much emotion and devotion that she could possibly put into one kiss. Kara gasped at the sudden movement, but didn’t hesitate to match Lena’s energy levels.

“Hold onto me,” Lena mumbled into Kara’s mouth. 

Her girlfriend paused for a moment, pulling away half an inch to furrow her eyebrows. “What?” Kara asked for clarification, her voice breathless and a slightly higher pitch. “Hold onto me,” Lena repeated in one syllable.

The hand that had been on Kara’s ass, guiding her to grind them against her girlfriend’s lap started to shift. One hand reached up to push against the back of her hips while the other pressed just between her shoulder blades.

Realizing what was about to happen, Kara quickly wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck, her thighs tightening in hopes that it would be enough to hang on.

In a rush of strength, Lena lifted Kara up with her as she stood, smirking at the surprised yelp her girlfriend let out. 

With just enough lift to get her over to the desk a foot away, sliding her back onto the mahogany surface, Lena stepped closely between powerful legs.

She briefly registered that multiple things clattered to the ground behind the desk, but that wasn’t her main priority at the moment.

Returning her lips to renew their previous kiss, Lena reached to grab Kara’s thighs, guiding them to wrap around her hips. She followed the movements without hesitation, pulling Lena impossibly closer to her with her legs.

Kara’s hands returned to Lena’s hair, probably tousling it into a mess, but Lena couldn’t have cared less. Her own hands slid up Kara’s thighs, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

But she didn’t lift it up straight away, instead tugging at it until she felt Kara nod against her lips. Smiling into the kiss, Lena pulled the shirt off of her in one swift motion, only moving away from their kiss for a brief moment before pushing back in.

Cold hands pressed against hot abs, both women sighing heavily against one another. 

Being able to touch Kara like this felt so sinfully good. Like she was touching a forbidden goddess. Feeling such powerful muscles shifting under her hands sent a spike of arousal straight between Lena’s legs.

She explored Kara’s undressed torso for a while, dragging her nails against every inch she could, just to see what area’s made Kara sigh and flex the most. She teased just under Kara’s brightly colored bra, smirking against her lips when she flinched and shied away from the nails that dragged against her ribs.

“Baby,” Kara gasped into the kiss; a silent plead for her to remove the garment she was playfully moving around.

Lena liked to pride herself on her resolve and ability to stand her ground when she wanted to, but hearing the pure, wanting desire in Kara’s raspy tone threw all her ideas of teasing her relentlessly out the window.

In a heartbeat Lena reached around and expertly unclasped the bra. 

Feeling the fabric release against her ribs, mixed with how Lena dragged her fingers down against her back made Kara sigh heavily, her wide smile breaking their kiss for a second.

Lena pushed back into the kiss with humming laughter, reaching her hands around to start sliding the straps of Kara’s bra off of her shoulders. 

She got them to maybe mid bicep before the loud clattering of books and papers across the room caused Lena to suddenly pull away from the fiery kiss, inhaling sharply.

Sam stood with her hands held out as if she had been holding the books that were now on the ground. Her mouth was practically on the floor, eyes wide as she watched Lena suddenly grab Kara and pull her in close, to hide Sam from seeing her so exposed.

“Fuck- turn around, Sam!” Lena ordered in an authoritative- if not slightly panicked –tone. Too shocked to speak, Sam did as she was told, turning to face away from her captain and best friend.

Kara was already reaching around to readjust her bra, clasping it around her back as Lena stooped to swipe her discarded shirt off the ground. She helped Kara pull the shirt down her torso before finally taking a step back, quickly reclasping the buckles on her corset.

“Have you never heard of knocking?” Lena growled in Sam’s direction, trying to blindly fix her hair back into a bun. “The door was already open- wait, no! What the hell are you two doing together?!” Sam glanced back, turning fully once she saw that they were dressed again.

She didn’t look angry- although she seemed a little frustrated at Lena’s aggression –rather, she looked incredibly shocked, if not betrayed. Lena frowned, narrowing her eyes as Kara stood from the desk in her peripheral.

There was no lie Lena could make up to hide her relationship with the woman she’d just gotten caught with; they were literally making out, and Kara was almost completely topless.

Lena wordlessly looked to Kara, who looked anxious as she met her almost icey gaze. “Maybe we should just tell her?” Kara quietly suggested, eyebrows lowering as they furrowed. Lena sighed, running a hand down her face.

Fine.

“Kara and I are dating… She’s my girlfriend,” She mumbled, looking back to Sam. “Well obviously,” Sam shot back, stepping over her dropped books to move further into the room. “How long have you two been together?!”

Kara looked as if she was being scolded by a teacher for breaking the rules, but Lena kept her cool composure, eyebrow arching high. 

She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong- absolutely no one in the world could convince her that her feelings for Kara were wrong. Even though she hid the relationship, her mind was solidified in her reasoning.

“Over a month,” Lena calmly answered, crossing her arms. Sam’s eyes bulged at that, her jaw dropping again. “And you guys didn’t tell me?!” She looked to Kara, who looked guilty, her blue eyes flickering between the ground and her friend.

Lena swelled protectively, moving to step between Sam’s piercing gaze and her girlfriend. “Don’t act like we’re villains for wanting to keep our relationship a secret, Samantha Arias- it’s for Kara’s protection, not to personally scorn _you_ …”

Sam opened her mouth to defiantly reply, but her betrayal faltered, realizing that Lena was right. She clenched her teeth together briefly before completely deflating, unable to hold onto her irritation.

“You’re right… I’m sorry, I was just in shock.”

Hearing Sam’s genuine apology, Lena also started to let her irritation slowly dwindle away, although it took much longer to calm herself down.

“Let’s just drop it for now… You came in here for a reason?” She let her crossed arms fall to her sides, turning to check and see if Kara was alright.

Although she looked a little pale, and still seemed to feel guilty, Kara seemed okay. Lena could only assume the rush of adrenaline she felt at being caught was mirrored in her girlfriend, pity settling low in her stomach. 

She wanted to grab her and hold her close, but now wasn’t the time.

Sam moved to pick up her fallen books and papers, Lena stepping in to help her while Kara started to clean up the mahogany desk. “I did come here with some news,” Sam explained after a moment, as she grabbed the last few papers.

“Someone new has come into town… A captain of some ship called the Queen’s Revenge. He’s requesting you meet him in person.” Sam had a distasteful look on her face as she spoke of the new captain, as if there was something bitter sitting on her tongue.

Lena frowned at the expression, knowing that this new captain must be a real ‘treat’ if Sam was making such a face. “Has he already arrived in town?” Lena asked, sighing as she moved to grab her saber, which leaned against her desk.

“He’s already waiting for you in the old throne room,” Sam replied, matching Lena’s frown. She adjusted her sword on her side as she buckled the belt around her hips, trying not to look too annoyed. 

“Fine… Come with me, Sam; we’ll greet our new guest. Kara, do you mind taking over with what I was looking at earlier? Maybe a second opinion will help that predicament.”

Kara smiled, agreeing sweetly as she nodded. Pushing away her urge to kiss her girlfriend, Lena instead brushed her hand over her bicep, thanking her before she made her way out of the room with Sam.

They were silent for maybe five minutes before the inevitable questioning started. “So a month, huh?” Sam glanced sideways at Lena. “Yeah, right after I got back from up North. We went to the falls and she kissed me.”

“Oh, so she’s the one who initiated it?... I guess that’s not so surprising, considering the way she moped around when you were gone.” Sam spoke casually, but Lena arched her eyebrow in confusion.

“What do you mean she ‘moped around’?”

“Kara looked like a kicked puppy whenever she thought no one was looking. Even when I asked her what was wrong she just deflected the question… I mean I noticed you two starting to get close, but I didn’t think it was _that_ close.”

The conversation ended quickly as they reached the throne room that was in the direct center of the castle. Lena inhaled deeply, squaring her shoulders and tilting her head back just before she walked into the room she only used for official gatherings.

There were six men all standing around, quietly conversing with one another. When they noticed Lena strolling confidently into the elongated white and green room, the conversation quickly went silent.

The man who had been standing in the center of the group stepped forward as Lena walked closer. He pulled off his feathered captains hat, which had one side of the brim pinned up with a golden medallion.

He removed the hat with a flourish, bending obnoxiously low as he flicked his long captains coat back, pressing the hat to his chest. “My queen! Or should I say captain?” He stood up straight again, an annoyingly wide and ‘charming’ smile breaking past his thick beard.

He looked almost theatrical with his outfit, like he was being too much like a pirate. Lena quirked her eyebrow momentarily, but knew that some captains liked to look as rugged as possible.

Underneath his multicolored bandana, Lena could see long wavy hair that reached just above his shoulders, pulled away from his face. It was once a dark brown- possibly black –color, but now was so peppered with silvery grey that it was hard to tell.

His beard was thick and scruffy, but not very long. It too was mostly grey, completely obscuring the original color. Despite the way his hair made him look older, the pirate captain looked maybe forty years of age.

He had some wrinkles around his eyes and forehead, but the rest of his square face seemed full of youth. His brows were dark and rather thick, heavily protruding from his forehead and low over his eyes.

His eyes…

Lena had never seen a greyer pair of eyes in her life. They were intense under such a dark brow, practically shining like the silver steel of a sword. 

His nose was long, nostrils slightly flared, and the bridge a little wider than most. The instant description Lena could thing of upon seeing this unknown man was… Cocky.

The way he held his broad shoulders, his stance wide and his slightly wrinkled hand resting on his oddly thick sword while the other held his hawk feathered hat at his side. He looked like he thought he was the most important person in the world.

“It’s just Captain Athena, thank you,” Lena replied, not bothering to politely smile or give any show of amusement at the man’s obnoxious gestures.

Despite realizing his flirtatious ways weren’t going to pass over well with Lena, he continued to smile wide through his beard. Like he had some sort of amusing secret. 

“Of course- and I’m Captain Azazel Kieran.” He put his hat back on to outstretch a hand to Lena. She vaguely recognized the name, but was too distracted with his sudden appearance- and second hand interruptance of her previous activities –to think much of it.

She took the extended hand with an internal frown, giving Azazel’s a singular shake before pulling hers away. “And why have you decided to come to National City, Captain Kieran?” Lena quirked her eyebrow.

“The seas have been quite a ruckus these past few months, since the King didn’t return from a secret trip across the oceans... My ship was very heavily damaged in a fire fight with the navy recently, so I decided to come to this Pirate Haven while I wait for the repairs to be completed.”

“So you came all the way to _National City_ instead of one of the much closer towns around the island?”

“Well I heard the famous Captain Athena was currently staying here with her crew, and I figured that you could use my help for the few months it takes for my Queen’s Revenge to be repaired.”

Lena couldn’t stop the cold laughter that erupted from her chest. The cruel sound echoed through the throne room, punctuating her wordless insult.

“And what ‘help’ do you expect to give me, sir?”

Azazel’s face flashed with anger at Lena’s laughter, but he quickly wiped it away when she turned back to him.

“Maybe you need a head of your guard force, or someone to make all the important decisions- you know; a man’s job… I’m here to make your life easier, captain… No woman should have to run a kingdom all by herself.”

Lena’s amused smirk suddenly faded. 

Anger at such misogynistic words roared through her blood as she shifted to stand taller. Even though Azazel was about six feet tall, she didn’t back down, her jaw twitching as she clenched it.

“Trust me, Mr. Kieran; I don’t need any help running my kingdom- certainly not from someone like you… You want to help? Get off of this island the instant your _boat_ is fixed.”

She moved in to stand in Azazel’s personal space, her green eyes ice as she glared. 

Kieran frowned at her, his grey eyes flashing with his own anger. “Fine,” Azazel growled, “I was hoping you’d be a little more willing to work with me on this… But using force is fine by me.”

Lena opened her mouth to demand Azazel explain his words when suddenly his fist was reeling back.

She was too close to him, unable to step away from the swing in time.

It felt like a cannon ball was smashing into the side of Lena’s face, her vision went black as she fell to the ground.

The last thing she registered was Sam’s surprised scream, and the sound of six swords being drawn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, I'll build Azazel up more, and his reasoning for being a little shit in the next chapter... Which will hopefully come out in the next few days, there's just lots going on in life currently (a.k.a I got a new video game >:D)
> 
> I love reading your guy's ideas/theories in the comments, btw!  
> -Aries
> 
> p.s. Azazel looks like Joaquin Phoenix for anyone who's wondering


	13. Happy (Bounty) Hunting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara rushes to save Lena from Azazel's clutches.

The scratching of her quill on the paper was the only sound that echoed through Lena’s room. Kara sat at her girlfriend’s desk, cheeks still burning from her previous embarrassment of literally getting caught shirtless with Lena.

Sam’s reaction wasn’t necessarily bad, but it defiantly wasn’t what Kara had hoped. She was obviously upset that her best friend managed to lie to her about such a major detail in her life for _weeks_. Kara didn’t mean to hurt Sam; she was just trying to respect Lena’s wishes to keep them a secret.

The guilt still weighed heavy on Kara, though. She mentally made a note to find Sam once Lena was done talking to this mysterious new captain. She wanted to apologize, and explain herself a little better; she appreciated Lena standing up for her, but her aggression towards the topic made it so she very poorly explained their reasoning for such secrecy.

Biting her lip, Kara tried her best to focus on her notes and thoughts about the letter Lena had requested she read. Her girlfriend had only left about ten minutes ago, but Kara longed to have her presents there to calm her anxiety about the current situation.

She wrote furiously, trying to get a rough draft of what Lena could possibly reply with as quickly as possible. The only thing that made her pause was the sound of boots thundering up the steps just outside Lena’s door.

Kara had about thirty seconds to stand and move around the desk, about to go investigate who was running up the stairs when suddenly the heavy double doors burst open.

Three men with their swords drawn stumbled into the room. The men and Kara both froze in place, eyes wide as they processed what was going on.

_A raid… Someone is raiding the castle!_

Was all Kara could think before her hand was on the sword at her side, drawing it in one fluid motion. Just as the tip of the saber left its scabbard, the first man lunged forward with a yell.

He swung at Kara’s left side, his blade curved almost into a ‘C’ shape. Kara blocked the blow smoothly, but with the curve of the man’s sword, hers skittered off of it instead of the steel biting together. Kara only had a split second to suck her gut in, arching backwards as the sword sliced just where her gut had been.

The man’s body twisted with the momentum of the missed swing, Kara risking her balance to slash diagonally to the right. Her silver blade slashed through the man’s back and shoulder, dark red liquid instantly spurting from the wound.

He screamed, twisting to clutch at the wound without thinking. Kara gripped her sword’s handle with both hands, reeling back before swinging it low like a baseball bat into the side of the man that was turned to her.

Kara prided herself on her strength- she worked out nightly, doing fifty pushups before bed –but never had she been able to slash a man almost completely in half.

It must have been adrenaline or something.

Her sword stopped just past the man’s spine, the crunching of his ribs and vertebra vibrating through the blade into Kara’s gripping hands.

Swiftly she pressed her captain’s boot to the dead man and kicked him off her sword. She only had half a second to turn her attention to her new opponents. Kara brought her saber up just in time to block the downward blow of the second man, parrying his attack before slashing at the third man that rushed her from her right.

Her blade slashed the third man’s chest, his feet slipping on his friend’s blood so that he crumpled into a ball at Kara’s feet. She didn’t have time to stab down at him, already parrying another blow from the second man.

She blocked a third swing, taking multiple steps away from the two bodies on the ground. The second assailant followed her, his attacks short and fast with his broadsword.

It took Kara a few seconds before she was able to actually get a hit in, parrying his final blow before suddenly stepping closer instead of farther.

Using the knuckle guard of her basket hilted sword, she upper-cutted the man right in the chin. The thorns of her guard easily breaking skin and shattering bone, sending the man flailing backwards.

Kara wasted no time in piercing him straight through the neck, finishing him off. He spluttered, but was too dazed from her blow to flail and fight his inevitable death.

Now with all the men in the room lifeless, Kara was able to stop and think for a moment; If these men were able to get all the way up to this room, it meant that something was preventing Lena from stopping them.

For a heart shattering second Kara’s first theory was that Lena was dead, but quickly calmed herself with the thought that her curse prevented her from dying through non-magical means. 

So, if she wasn’t dead, then she was either fighting or captured.

Knowing that her girlfriend needed her help, Kara bolted down the stairs, sword still drawn in her hand.

She took two at a time, jumping down the last five to each landing. The only thing that made her stop halfway down the stairs, pausing on a landing, was when two figures came to meet her.

Luckily the stairs were built in her favor, turning counter clock wise up the tower, so that the wall wasn’t blocking her right sword arm.

Without pausing to think, Kara slashed straight out at the man a foot below her. The blade of her saber easily sliced through his neck, making him freeze mid-step to reach up and grab at his leaking throat.

Kara kicked him hard in the chest, knocking him back into his buddy so that the two bodies crumpled to the landing below. She followed them, still on her feet. Jumping down the last few steps Kara used her momentum to fall into the hilt of her sword, the blade burying itself deep into the second figures chest.

Panting from the exertion, Kara yanked her sword out of the body, trying to push herself to go down the rest of the stairs as quickly as possible.

Only one man was there to hold her back, which she quickly parried his attack, spinning around him to slash thickly through the back of his neck. He fell to the floor like a sack of flour, but Kara didn’t pause long enough to really make sure he was dead.

Now that she was down in the main hallways, she could tell how chaotic it was; The people who happened to be at castle that day were sprinting through the halls, unarmed and screaming. The one’s who _were_ armed were busy fighting off the attackers.

Multiple times Kara had to stop and assist one of Lena’s crew members, fighting off the second and sometimes third assailant that the crew mate was fighting against. Her arms were burning by the time she was finally able to make it to the throne room.

It was completely empty, except for the sprawled body of Sam.

Inhaling sharply, Kara rushed to Sam, falling to her knees next to her. She was lying in a pool of blood, face down. Tossing her saber to the side, Kara rolled her best friend over with both hands, lying her on her back.

She had a deep slash starting from her left hip to her right shoulder. It had stopped bleeding, clotting thickly, but Sam was incredibly pale.

Fighting back her panic, Kara leaned down and pressed the side of her face to Sam’s bloody chest. She could hear breathing, although it was incredibly faint. She was alive, but unless someone gave her medical treatment she wouldn’t last long.

The sound of running in her direction made Kara scramble for her sword, her knee’s sliding around in the cold blood on the dark green floor. She just managed to grab the sword when she realized it wasn’t the mysterious attackers, but instead a group of citizens.

“Please- she needs medical attention… I need to find Athena, can you take her?!” Kara pleaded to the group. “Don’t worry, we’ve got her- go find our captain,” one of them said, moving to kneel next to Sam.

Before Kara left, she whispered her apologies to her best friend, leaning to kiss her pale forehead before moving to stand.

Running out of the room, Kara followed the trail of blood and bodies- it was her only source of guidance, praying to whoever was listening that she was going the right way.

But the trail only led out of the castle, ending in the stable court yard. Kara cussed loudly when she realized she lost the only means of telling her where to go. 

She glanced around, only seeing a few terrified citizens sprinting away from the carnage inside the castle.

Her next best thing was to see if maybe she could find someone who had seen where Lena went. Kara attempted to stop a few of the villagers who were running out of the castle, but most of them were too busy trying to survive to stop.

It was only when Kara recognized one of Lena’s second mates- she thought her name was Jac –running from the city below into the court yard. 

“Jac, have you seen Athena?!” Kara called out, running to catch up with the panicked looking brunette. She slowed her pace, looking back to Kara.

“Yeah- she was chained up on the back of some dude’s cart! I’m here to try and get something to stop them.”

Fuck… That was the last thing Kara wanted to hear.

Turning on her heels, Kara started to run towards the stables. She needed to catch up to Lena, to help her escape from whoever was trying to capture her.

Asher was still in her stables, snorting loudly at the smell of blood that clung to Kara’s now ruined clothes. Not even bothering to saddle her horse, Kara threw a halter and rope reigns onto Asher before leaping onto her back.

Kicking her into a gallop, Kara rode bareback down the mountain. Despite the discomfort Kara didn’t slow the speed, gritting her teeth each time Asher’s hooves hit the cobblestone.

Even down in the city things seemed to be chaotic. People were sprinting through the streets, and it looked like there was even a fire over in the Business District. But Kara couldn’t stop; she needed to find Lena.

Behind her she recognized that someone was riding with her. She glanced back to see Jac riding a large chestnut horse, a determined look on her face. “Which way?!” Kara called back to her, unsure of where she’d seen Lena.

“Towards they gate; they were leaving town!” Kara looked forward again, watching multiple people scramble out of her way as she galloped down the main road towards the entrance of the city.

The metal gate had been blown wide open- but from the inside... Kara could only guess that whoever was attacking had managed to get in peacefully, but as soon as the chaos started they had to fight their way out.

Kara ducked low on Asher as they galloped through the twisted metal, dodging a low hanging bar. Jac did the same, following closely behind her.

Now on the dirt ground, Kara was able to see deep cart grooves and hoof marks. They were traveling fast judging by the distance between each print, and how the horses seemed to be digging into the soft mossy dirt.

It didn’t take long for Kara to be able to see down the tall hill that National City was situated on, seeing a group of maybe fifteen people and one caged cart. “There!” Kara called to Jac, pointing out the group that was probably a mile ahead of them.

She kicked Asher to go harder, the mare puffing loudly through her nose as she pushed to obey. By now Kara’s legs were numb, tingling painfully as she tried to hang onto Asher for dear life. Her saber also beat against her leg, the thorned guard digging into her thigh as she leaned down against Asher’s back.

They approached the group quickly, Jac pushing her mount to fly past Kara as she gave a loud war cry. Her longsword was drawn, holding it in two hands as she slashed at the first figure she could get to.

Kara had to give Jac props for her strength, the sword cleaving straight into the person’s back before she yanked it out, arching it high over her head before bringing it down on the next poor soul on the other side of her.

Asher drew wide, but instead of wasting Kara time with the men in the back of the group, Kara decided to run to the front and try to trip them. She was just to the front when she heard a feminine scream, looking back to see Jac tumbling to the ground in a heap with her horse.

Kara couldn’t stop- couldn’t check to see if the second mate was okay; she was too close to getting to Lena, and Jac was most certainly dead or dying. Gritting her teeth in silent regret, Kara turned back towards where Asher was galloping along with the group, getting close to the caged cart.

She was trying to look in when randomly a broad man that drove the caged cart looked back at her, his steel grey eyes widening when he glanced down at her boots. “Who did you have to kill do get those, young lady?!” The man’s wide, insane smile was full of anger, as if insulted that Kara was wearing the captain’s boots.

Taken aback by the question, Kara paused and lowered her sword that had been defensively raised. “What? They’re mine!” Kara yelled back.

It wasn’t the answer he wanted, apparently.

The man yanked at the horses running with the cart, causing them to slide to a stop. Kara was so surprised by the move that she didn’t see that the man had drawn an obnoxiously wide sword, swinging it with powerful arms as Asher galloped past, unable to stop in time.

The swing hadn’t been aimed at Kara, but instead just below her.

It felt as if Asher ran into a low wall, her front legs suddenly giving out while the rest of her flipped over with the momentum. An agonizing squeal ripped through the mare as Kara was flung off of her, flying through the air before landing multiple yards away in a heap, her sword landing somewhere a few feet away.

All the air had been forced out of Kara’s lungs, her shoulder and entire left side aching from the fall. Gasping in a mouthful of dirt and moss, she struggled to orientate which direction was up and down. 

Rolling onto her back, Kara looked around to see Asher writhing on the ground, still squealing.

The man who’d attacked her was off of his cart, menacingly stalking over to Kara with his bloody sword. She was in too much pain to get up, unable to grab her sword before his was pressing painfully against her sternum.

“I won’t ask you again, _girl_ , where did you get those boots?”

Kara groaned at her aching body, trying to will herself to try and get away. But all she could do was answer the threatening question. “I told you; they’re mine, you fucking prick… I got them from the Queen’s Navy, when I was promoted to captain.”

The brooding man glowered, his eyes narrowing. “What’s your name then, _Captain_?”

Realizing that the man was probably part of the Navy, or some sort of military branch, Kara decided to play along- as if she still recognized herself as a captain or even a citizen under Queen Victoria.

“Captain Kara Danvers of The Oryx,” Kara answered a little more strongly, her breath starting to come back to her burning lungs. The man didn’t say anything for a long moment eyes still narrowed, when suddenly he removed his sword from Kara’s chest.

“You’re supposed to be dead… What are you doing here?” He raised a thick eyebrow, allowing Kara to slowly move to sit up. She eyed Asher, who’d stopped crying and was now limp on the ground. Even from the distance Kara was, she could see that her beloved mare was dead.

Gritting the dirt between her teeth, Kara glared up at Asher’s killer. “I was captured months ago by Captain Athena, and taken here… What the fuck are _you_ doing here?” Kara stood up, brushing the dirt from her stained clothing, subtly checking for any broken bones.

“Doing the job that you’ve failed to do; capture Captain Athena and bring her to the queen… Name’s Azazel Kieran- and these are my men.” Kara recognized the man’s name; he was a famed bounty hunter from Victoria’s Navy, known for his brutal tactics and blood thirsty nature.

Victoria must have decided to continue with her plan of killing Lena if she sent _him_ to find Lena… But Azazel’s orders were different from hers, not nearly as deadly.

“Capture? Why not kill?” Kara glanced to the cage, noticing that she could just barely see the top of Lena’s raven hair. She wasn’t entirely moving, so Kara couldn’t tell if she was awake or not.

Azazel contemplated her for a moment, his grey eyes cold. “It’s not my place to question the queen… She just paid me to bring Athena to her- even gave me some fancy collar to put on her and everything.”

Kara opened her mouth to ask about the collar, but Azazel didn’t let her speak. “So if you’ve been here all this time, Captain, then why is Athena still alive?... You’re clearly not a prisoner, and this was some sort of rescue attempt I can only assume.”

Thinking fast on her feet, Kara decided to play a game she was reluctant to even think about; she needed to pretend that she wasn’t one of the free people- that her blood was still blue.

“Have you never heard of the term ‘keep your enemies closer’?... I was trying to find the right moment to kill her, but it’s kind of hard when your target’s immortal and incredibly untrusting.”

If Azazel had been able to hear Kara’s heart, he would have known she was lying just by how fast it was beating. But all he could see was her face, which she kept completely stoic, holding eye contact.

At first she thought he was going to push her for more detail, but instead he smiled. “Wow… Those are some cold tactics you’ve got there, Captain, even for me… I like you. Come- sit with me on the cart; we don’t have much time before more of her followers come after us.”

Azazel gestured for Kara to follow, sheathing his sword as he walked away. Kara bent to grab her own sword a few feet away, putting it back in her scabbard as she followed, limping due to her bruised hip.

Climbing onto the cart, Kara was able to look down into the cage to see Lena staring up at her. She had a metal collar wrapped around her throat, with thick chains holding her arms to her side. The collar had purple glowing runes on them, seemingly holding Lena’s powers back.

A bolt of fear and regret thundered through Kara’s chest as she saw the pure rage on her girlfriends features as they made eye contact.

Apparently her lying was too good, because even Lena seemed to believe her.

Unable to think of a way to show her bluff to Lena, Kara just moved to sit down. She’d have to think of some way to convince Lena she wasn’t telling the truth, but the more pertinent plan of figuring out how to get her out of the cage and chains was at the forefront of Kara’s mind.

Azazel whipped his two horses into a quick canter, the cart lurching forward. Kara watched as Asher’s body was walked around, unable to hide her frown. Kieran seemed to notice, mumbling a halfhearted, “Oh, and sorry about your horse…”

All Kara did was sigh, turning back to sit forward. She was silent for a moment, glancing around the seat of the cart.

Her first thought was to just kill Azazel right now, but there was no way she could deal with the repercussions of over ten men attacking her in turn. She’d need Lena’s help- assuming Lena didn’t attack her as well if she ever got free.

The problem was, was that the collar was repressing her powers- there’s no way she’d be this docile without something stopping her from sucking all the moisture from the air or something. These men would have been long dead if it wasn’t for the runes stopping her.

Kara would have to figure out how to break the collar, or get it off. Unfortunately, there was no key in sight, unless Azazel was holding it- but there was no way he’d just give her the key, anyways.

Maybe if she was able to scratch through the ruins, they’d become ineffective? Or, she could try to bash the lock with her sword?... No, she wasn’t sure that the soft gold of her hilt was strong enough to break through the rather hard iron of the collar, nor did she trust her aim if she tried to do it with her long blade. 

And there was still the situation of Kara being nowhere close to Lena… There was a cage separating them, as well as multiple men who could easily stop Kara if she tried to somehow break through the door or something.

“So, The Oryx is gone then?... That’s a shame; I heard she was a real beauty. Almost makes it hard to believe she was run by a woman.”

Azazel’s voice broke Kara out of her scheming. She tried not to frown at his backhanded insult, staring straight forward at the path they were taking. 

Instead, she went along with the comment. “Yeah, most people are surprised to see me sailing her… But she’s gone now; Athena took her down, along with my crew.”

“I’ve heard she’s quite a foe to go against, it doesn’t surprise me… Although I have no idea how you managed to stomach trying to get closed to the bitch; I’d kill her right then and there, if it was _my_ ship.”

Anger silently boiled in Kara’s chest as she bit her tongue. Now wasn’t the time to get snarky; she needed to keep this façade up in order to get Lena to safety.

Under the anger there was also fear; she couldn’t slip up now, or else everything would go to waste. Too many people had died within such a short period of time- Kara couldn’t let their lives be taken in vain.

Trying to ignore the very obvious glaring behind her, Kara just shrugged. “Just picturing her face under my boot was all I could really do,” she explained, trying to match Azazel’s cockiness. Kara would have to get him to like her in order for him to willingly let her get anywhere close to Lena.

Her comment seemed to work, Azazel laughing loudly. “Yeah, I remember the first time I got to finally kill this bounty that’d been really difficult for me…” He launched into a story, but Kara quickly tuned him out.

She continued to glance between the path they were going, and around where she sat, hoping to see maybe a key or something to help her get Lena free.

The only thing she could see was an old nail that was sticking out of the wood right next to her thigh, on the opposite side Azazel sat. Slowly, Kara reached over and started to wiggle the nail, hoping that the obnoxious volume of Azazel’s voice would drown out the squeaking of the wood.

No one seemed to notice as Kara worked the nail out of the wood. It took her over ten minutes to work it out, her hand jolted slightly as the metal finally popped free of the wood.

Azazel paused in his obnoxious story, glancing over to Kara with a raised eyebrow at her sudden movement. “You alright there, Danvers?”

Panic rushed through Kara as she realized her movement had been noticed. “Yeah… Your story just gets my fists going, ya’know?”

The excuse was lame, but suddenly an idea came to Kara’s mind; a way to get close to Lena.

“Say- you’re the revenge type, too, right?... Mind if we could take a moment for me to get even with her?” She cockily tilted her head back towards Lena in refrence to ‘her’.

Azazel glanced back at Lena, who was still glaring at them. He didn’t notice that Kara had palmed her nail, hiding it until she could use it. 

“I’m not sure… We’re trying to get as much ground on these pirates as possible,” he mumbled, unconvinced. Quickly thinking, Kara pushed her lie a step further. “Come on- I’ll pay you when we get back onto the main land?” Money was the way to every bounty hunters heart.

Looking back ahead of them, he shrugged, seemingly convinced with the promise of coin. “I don’t see why we can’t take a moment… You seem like my type of girl, so I’ll give you an extra minute- but no face shots. The Queen specifically asked for her face to be unharmed.”

Kara tried not to show her disgust at Azazel’s ‘compliment’, instead forcing a smile onto her face. “I just need two minutes and I’ll be all good.”

She casually slid off of the cart bench as soon as the small group stopped, walking around the cage. She tried to ignore Lena’s enraged glare as she watched her, a cold sweat running down her back.

This was it… If this didn’t work, then both Kara and Lena would be dead.

Indescribable emotion churned her stomach as she kept her face blank, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat. Losing Lena was her worst nightmare- a world without her was unimaginable to Kara…

One of the men closest to the cage slid off his horse, pulling a ring of keys out to unlock the cage. Kara stopped just outside of the door as the younger man climbed into the straw-covered back, moving to grab Lena.

She thrashed at him, but when he grabbed her by the collar and slammed the back of her head against the cage she stilled, clearly dazed.

It took absolutely every ounce of self-control in Kara’s body not to punch the young man in the face, her fingers trembling as they clenched around the nail in her fist.

Dragging the stunned Lena out of the cage, he roughly dropped her to the muddy ground before pulling out a second key to unchain her.

“I got it, buddy,” Kara said with as calm of a voice as she could muster, gently pushing the kid back. In her mind, however, she was committing his face to memory; she’d get him back for hurting Lena like that.

Bending down, Kara grabbed Lena under the arms, dragging her a few feet away from the cart before propping her upright. She pressed a hand to her shoulder, holding her still as she unwrapped the chains from around her girlfriend with the hand that didn’t hold her nail.

With the chains gone, and her hand holding the clearly fuming Lena, Kara knelt in front of the woman she cared most about in this world, trying to stop her legs from shaking. 

Fear, anger, and a whole cocktail of emotions pumped through her as she struggled to keep her face stoic.

Kara’s mind kept her painfully aware that if this didn’t work, she’d loose Lena forever… The idea made her heart contract painfully, terrified that she might fail. Her chest swelled with emotion for her girlfriend, her eyes suddenly threatening to water with burning tears.

In a split second decision, Kara leaned forward to whisper something in Lena’s ear- her hand theatrically grabbing the front of her shirt like she was saying something hostile. 

She needed to say her last possible words, just in case… Even if Lena was so clearly enraged with her.

“If this doesn’t work… Please know that I love you, and I didn’t mean anything I’ve said up until this point…”

Kara leaned away, pausing for only a moment to take in the look of shock in her girlfriend’s eyes. 

She shifted the hand that held the nail so that it stuck out between her thumb and forefinger, bringing it around to press against the left-most rune.

Before Azazel or anyone else around her could stop Kara, she dug the nail in as hard as she could and slashed as if cutting open Lena’s throat.

The runes flickered, the purple glow fluttering for half a second.

And then they went completely dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Asher :(((...  
> But it's okay, because Sam's not dead? And also Kara admitted her love :D
> 
> Let me know what you guys think!  
> -Aries


	14. Sweet Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara turn the tables on Azazel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't really love this chapter, but literally all the other scenes and dialogue I wrote down were complete crap, so I'm at a loss... Hopefully it's not horrible. (I realized I messed up on some school work and did the wrong chapter so I've had to rush to do the correct chapter and now I'm brain dead, so my creativity is refusing to work...)  
> Also, shout out to ShezNek for managing to predict one of the way's Lena uses her powers in this chapter, lmao.
> 
> Have a good night, everyone  
> -Aries

It was like a switch had been flicked on.

One moment Kara was kneeling on the damp moss with a thick fog that seemed to constantly hang around the moors.

The next it felt as if she had stepped into the desert- all the moisture completely leaving the air.

The once vivid green moss wilted into a dead yellow color for at least a mile in every direction, all the water ripped from the surrounding area as Lena flourished her hands. 

It hovered in the air in little droplets, like suspended rain.

Then, she brought her hands up slightly above her head, her furious green eyes shifting from Kara’s wide gaze to the men surrounding them. Brandishing her hands almost theatrically, all the moisture that had been hovering suddenly shot into motion.

Jagged, vibrating droplets pierced through the surrounding men as if they were bullets. Kara winced, half expecting to get hit as well, but Lena was in enough control to avoid her.

The splashing of blood and water across the dirt mixed with screams of pain and surprise, the water tearing through them before they could even react. 

All at once the group of men dropped to the ground- dead or dying.

The only person left standing was Azazel, who stared in shock at the sudden execution of his men; his grey eyes were wide, jaw hanging open as his face became completely pale.

Lena shifted, standing slowly, her eyes locked on Azazel. She was _furious_ , her long pale fingers literally vibrating.

In a last ditch effort Azazel drew his sword, raising it to slash down at the menacing woman slowly moving towards him. Kara was standing with her own sword in hand without thinking, leaping in front of Lena to parry the large sword.

The blades sparked off of one another, Azazel moving to attack again with a furious look when suddenly he froze. A look of agony twisted across his face, his hand forcefully releasing his sword. Kara paused, tilting her head at his jagged movements as he seemed to struggle against some unknown force.

Looking back, Kara saw Lena’s hand outstretched towards Kieran, her jaw clenched as she seemed to literally controlled him through the moisture in his blood. A shiver ran down Kara’s back, simultaneously impressed and terrified at the power Lena held so effortlessly.

“ _You_ … You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to my city,” Lena growled through clenched teeth. She moved around Kara, still holding Azazel in place. He tried to speak, but his jaw snapped shut loudly, blood spluttering from his mouth when his teeth bit through the tip of his tongue.

Unable to scream or even blink, he just stared at the furious woman in front of him with terrified eyes. Kara half expected Lena to kill him right then and there, but instead she reeled a fist back and smashed it against Azazel’s temple.

His twitching limbs went still, his head sagging slightly against the blood hold. Lena dropped him unceremoniously, watching him crumple to the ground.

Wordlessly she started to search his body, not even looking back at Kara. Her hands were still shaking, pulling Azazel’s coat aside to grab at a key from one of the inner pockets. She reached back, attempting to fit the key into the back of her collar, struggling to find the keyhole.

“Here, let me…” Kara mumbled, coming over to take the key from Lena’s trembling hands. She was silent as Kara unlocked the metal collar, pulling it off of her girlfriend carefully.

As soon as the collar was tossed away, landing heavily in the moister-less dirt, Lena suddenly reeled around and shoved Kara’s chest. She stumbled backwards, but managed to keep her footing as she gave her girlfriend a bewildered look.

“What was that?!” Kara complained, frowning at the way Lena glared at her. “Don’t _ever_ say something like that again!” Her jaw was tense as she yelled about Kara’s faked words, her previous anger still having yet to dissipate.

“I was trying to buy myself time, Lena,” Kara tried to reason, but Lena wasn’t interested in listening right now. She still glared, her eyes scarily pale. 

“I don’t care! The thoughts that went through my head when I thought you were going to betray me…” Lena’s face flashed with sadness and fear, her eyebrows lowering as her glare faded.

Taking a hesitant step forward, Kara offered a hand to her girlfriend. For a moment she just looked at the hand, but slowly Lena reached forward and placed her palm against Kara’s.

Pulling her in, Kara wrapped her arms tightly around Lena- ignoring the painful bruises that throbbed all throughout her body. “Baby I… I am _so_ sorry for hurting you… I promise, I never meant anything I said. I would _never_ lie to you.”

She felt Lena’s face scrunch against her neck as she held tightly onto her. They were silent for a moment, Lena silently crying while Kara silently thanked whoever had answered her prayer about Lena being safe.

After a few minutes, though, Kara remember all that she had seen in the castle and National City. It could still be under attack, and despite her desire to keep Lena safe, she knew the city needed their leader.

“Sam and the others need our help, we really need to get going,” Kara explained, carefully pulling away. Lena nodded, wiping at a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. “Yeah, okay… Help me get him onto the back of a horse?”

Lena gestured to Azazel, who was still passed out on the ground. Kara furrowed her eyebrows, giving her girlfriend a questioning look. “What are you going to do to him?” Lena’s features darkened. “I’m going to ask him a few questions about our mutual friend…”

Realizing what she meant, Kara paled slightly. Although… As much as she was against torturing someone for information, her hatred for Azazel and now Victoria pushed her to move forward and pick up the slightly smaller man.

With Lena’s help, they were able to toss him onto one of the rider less horses, Lena pulling herself into the saddle after using the chain once wrapped around her to tie Azazel to the rear of the bay mare.

Kara went to commandeer her own mount from one of the dead bounty hunters, pulling a limp body out of the saddle, wiping some of the blood off of the leather with a scrap of the dead man’s shirt. She glanced around at all the other horses around her, but knew they had no time to stop and unsaddle them so that they could run free.

Once Kara was able to carefully haul herself into the saddle, her shoulder and ribs painfully sore, she kicked her new horse- a buckskin Kiger mustang –into a gallop just behind Lena. They rode fast, Kara’s eyes locked onto the raven hair that blew brilliantly in the wind.

She tried not to stare too long when they rode past Asher nor Jac, tears burning at her eyes. She said a brief goodbye to her beloved horse, but refused to let Lena stop when she noticed her slowing. “I’ll come back for them- we need to get back _now_ ,” Kara reasoned.

Despite their hastened pace, it took what felt like way too long for them to get back to National City. Azazel had managed to take them multiple miles away, almost to the woods by the time Kara was finally able to get the group to stop.

Now that Kara could see the city as they rode up over the protective hill, her heart sank.

Billowing clouds of smoke rose high into the sky, centered around the Business District and some other small fires appearing along the wall of the city. Lena’s back stiffened at the sight of her kingdom, obvious rage rolling off of her in waves.

She pushed her mare to go faster, Kara following closely next to her. They could see just from outside the gates that the battle was still going, Kara reaching down to pull her sword from her side again.

Lena glanced at her, moving to sit up straighter as she released the reigns of her horse. “Stay close to me.” Her voice dripped with a mixture of authority and rage. Kara dared not refuse, a bolt of what she could only describe as fear rolling down her spine.

As soon as they got into the city, the main road full of both Lena and Azazel’s crew, she reached out her hands to either side. With her palms facing up, Lena literally swelled with power as she took in a deep breath. It felt like the air was buzzing, a static-like haze fogging through Kara’s head as she winced.

Anyone who wasn’t a citizen of National City- it was easy to recognize them with their rather theatrical pirate’s outfits –suddenly started to stagger and cry out in agony. Lena’s mare cantered down the street as she effortlessly drained the water from her enemy’s bodies, just like she did to Callum all those months ago.

Nothing was left but husks, the water that had once been a part of them pouring through the streets. Lena didn’t even look like she was breaking a sweat, her anger and destiny as Gluttony fulling her with all the power she needed.

Kara stared in awe, her sword resting in her lap as she watched Lena protect her city. The smoke that rolled high into the sky seemed to lessen, the drained life force of Azazel’s crew putting out any flames without Lena even having to look.

As they neared the edge of the city, just about to reach the pathway up to the castle, Lena’s fingers started to tremble ever so slightly. She dropped her hands, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

“That was… Uh… Woah,” Kara mumbled, staring at her girlfriend. Never had she seen such a display of pure, raw power. She didn’t even need to touch the attacking enemies, simply sensing their wrongful essence and honing in one that.

Lena looked over to Kara, a brief look of pride flashing through her eyes. “Come on… We need to get to the castle,” she reminded, Kara nodding in agreement as she pushed her saber back into its sheath. “Lead the way, Captain.”

Taking the lead once again, Lena kicked her mare back into a gallop, Azazel limply flopping against his chains. Kara followed behind, glancing down to the city that was no longer under attack.

Thankfully neither was the castle as they rode up to it. Citizens no longer were fleeing from the building, screaming bloody murder; those who’d not joined the fight down in the city were busy removing the bodies of Azazel’s crew.

Pulling her mare to a quick stop in the court yard, Lena dismounted without even tying the horse up. Kara was a little slower to get off and run around, taking a moment to untie Azazel in case the horse ran off. She unceremoniously dragged him off of the animal, letting his dead weight drop straight to the ground instead of lowering him.

Lena had turned to where her three remaining second mates were helping drag bodies and account for all the citizens still in the castle. She beckoned them to come help Kara, instructing them to take Azazel and lock him up in the underground cells of the castle.

Once the three women dragged off the bounty hunter, Lena turned to Kara once again. “Let’s go see Sam…” The anxiety that Kara had felt constantly buzzing in the back of her brain reflected across Lena’s features for just a moment.

Carefully Kara reached forward, understanding her fear of the unknown; she hadn’t seen Sam since the start of the attack, unsure of how badly she was injured. In attempts to calm her girlfriends racing heart, she squeezed her hand.

“It’ll be okay… She’ll be okay.”

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed with emotion, but she nodded all the same. Deciding to take the lead this time, Kara dropped her hand carefully and guided her into the castle. It wasn’t hard to find where they were taking all the injured; Kara just asked the first person she saw where they could find their mutual friend, following the flow of blood-covered towns people.

Sam was in an empty guest’s room that had been converted into a make-shift infirmary. Seeing all the injured citizens was almost unbearable. Kara clenched her jaw, trying to take deep breaths despite the metallic smell in the air, afraid that she’d throw up otherwise.

Walking along the line of carnage, Sam was put on the back wall. She was shirtless, her entire torso wrapped in bandages. She was lying on a thing straw mat, still passed out. Kara swallowed hard, glancing back to Lena as they approached her unmoving form.

Visible emotion swam through her eyes as she looked down at her long time best friend. Lena bit her lip, moving in close to kneel down and grab Sam’s hand. Kara carefully knelt next to her, putting a hand against her girlfriends back.

Lena’s hand trembled as she held Sam’s, squeezing their palms together. She whispered soft apologies, along with a promise; “I’ll make sure he pays for what he’s done to you…” 

Kara wordlessly stared at Sam’s pale face, hoping that she’d wake up soon, and make a quick recovery. For her sake and theirs.

They sat like that for a long moment, Lena taking her time processing all that had happened to her city and her best friend all within the past few hours.

With a deep inhale, Lena suddenly stood, a determined look on her face. “Let’s go see if our new friend is awake…” Once again that familiar look of rage was on Lena’s face, her eyes pale as ice. Kara quickly returned to her feet, nodding in agreement. She understood the rage, even if her own anger felt pale in comparison.

The two women went down to the holding cells in the basement of the castle. It was incredibly damp and cold, with very little lighting. The prison looked as if it had been old catacombs, the cells cut outs in the natural rock of the mountain below the castle.

Azazel was chained in the center of his cell, forced to stand with how the chains pulled his arms up over his head. There was a singular torch in the room, illuminating the look of poorly hidden panic on the bounty hunters face.

Seeing Lena appear in front of the bars of his cage made his breath pick up noticeably, his wrists flexing in the cuffs. “Why am I here?!” He demanded, watching Lena open the cage door with a key she retrieved from a hook at the entrance.

She didn’t answer his question, simply opening the door and stepping into the damp room. Her eyes were hard as they stared at Azazel’s face, glaring daggers into him. Azazel’s fearful gaze switched from Lena’s face to Kara’s, looking angry at the sight of her.

“You lying bitch!” He spat, thrashing against his chains. 

Not even Kara could have predicted how suddenly Lena was going to punch him in the gut. He flexed around the blow, all of the air blowing out of his lungs with a wheezing sound.

“Insult the woman I love again… I _dare_ you.”

Kara’s stomach fluttered with butterflies both at the authoritative rage in Lena’s voice, and her almost casual admittance of love.

She’d almost forgotten her confession earlier; when she was so full of adrenaline and fear of her last words being in that moment, that she’d let those three words slip from her lips without thinking.

Kara hadn’t expected Lena to say anything back, so it was surprising to her to hear such endearing words- even if they were currently toned with anger and hatred for the man in front of them.

Azazel struggled to get his breath back, snot and spit leaking from his face as he gasped. Lena grabbed his jaw, forcing him to stand straight again. “Now… _I’m_ going to be asking _you_ questions... If I don’t like the answer, I’ll make sure you know.”

To prove her point, she forced Azazel with her blood control to suddenly bow down so low it looked as if his shoulders were going to pop out of his sockets. The bounty hunter screamed loudly, the noise echoing through the catacombs.

He held his bow for a moment before Lena released her magical hold, backing up to contemplate her prisoner. She looked back to Kara, who stood a few feet away, silently watching. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to…”

It’d always been a philosophy of Kara’s to spare as many people as she could. It was rare that she actually went for a killing blow; only when she knew that her attackers would stop at nothing to kill her- just like the attack on National City today –would she actually mortally wound. Her opponent had to _earn_ a reason to be killed.

Azazel had earned his reason long ago…

“No… He hurt the two people I care about most… I’m staying.” Kara held eye contact with Lena, a determined look on her face. There was an almost unreadable expression on Lena’s features that Kara could only describe as pure affection… Love.

The look was masked over with a stoic façade as Lena turned back towards Azazel. He snarled at the look, his own rage in his eyes. It looked more like a house cat hissing at a lioness in Kara’s mind- or maybe a Chihuahua growling at a Rottweiler…

The snarl was easily wiped off of Azazel’s face as Lena reeled her fist back, decking him in the nose. His head whipped back, blood spluttering freely from his nostrils. When his head drooped back forward, the bridge of his nose was noticeably displaced, clearly broken.

“Now, what to start off with…” Lena prowled around Azazel in a circle, eying him with ice green eyes. Kara moved to lean back against the bars, her arms crossed. “Oh- I know!... Explain to me the deal you had with Victoria, and what it had to do with me and my kingdom.”

Azazel gritted his blood covered teeth, glaring down at the ground. Realizing he was determined to remain silent, Lena nonchalantly flicked her fingers. Azazel’s once heaving chest suddenly froze, his eyes going wide.

It took Kara a second to realize that Lena was freezing his blood flow, forcing his lungs and entire body to stop working. “Don’t hold back now, Mr. Kieran.” Lena flicked her fingers after thirty seconds, Azazel gasping for air.

Lena patiently waited for him to get his breath back, her eyebrow quirking as she gave him the coldest stare Kara had ever seen. “I’m waiting, Mr. Kieran,” Lena growled when Azazel kept his jaw clenched shut.

With a reluctant snarl, he finally spoke. “She hired me to track you down, and capture you alive.”

“Why?”

Azazel’s silence earned him another painful bow, his muscles visibly cramping as he tried to fight the blood control.

“Fuck! Because she wanted to kill you herself- I don’t know, okay?! All I know is that she put some sort of magic on a collar and told me to not give you a chance to fight back! The bitch is some crazy fucking witch.”

“Crazy fucking witch is right,” Lena snorted, “When did this contract start?”

“Shortly after the disappearance of The Harpy, Leviathan, and The Oryx…”

Kara’s mind flickered back to the battle- the worse day of her life… She’d always wondered how long it would take someone to notice their failure, and if anyone would try to find any survivors

“And how did you find my island?” Lena’s voice brought Kara out of her thoughts before they could spiral, glancing past Azazel towards Kara while she continued to circle him. Her frown had deepened, Kara matching the look.

“The debris of the Leviathan and her escort washed up onto shore. Among the wreckage was a map of The Harpy’s planed route to escort the assigned cargo with The Oryx. I just retraced their tracks until I reached just south of where the debris showed up… After months of searching I finally found your island.”

Lena paused, glaring at Azazel. “Did you tell anyone you were here?”

“No… I sent a falcon to the queen saying I believe I found you weeks ago, but I neglected to say where you were hiding… I was cocky, thinking I could take you down quickly and surprise her with your capture.”

“Cocky’s a little bit of an understatement,” Kara snorted, amused by his admittance to failure.

Azazel’s eyes shot towards Kara, narrowing angrily. “And what about you, traitor?! What have _you_ been doing with these fucking pirates?”

Lena moved to grab her prisoners neck, but Kara called for her to stop before she could do any more. Instantly her girlfriend froze, looking back to her with a confused look.

Pushing off of the cell wall, Kara strode over to stand in front of Azazel. She grabbed him by the front of his bloody shirt and pushed him so he was standing straight. She was a good two inches taller than him, forcing him to look up at her.

“I’ve been learning about what it means to be a truly _free_ person… I broke away from that flock you call civilization, and learned to see the truth; monarchies are corrupt, outdated pieces of shit that prey on the weak. Captain Athena’s shown me what true life is... She’s given me a voice that the woman you call a ‘queen’ never has.”

Kara’s fist tightened, her eyes blazing with passion and anger. “I’m not some government puppy anymore. These people aren’t my enemy… it just took my connection to the royal navy being severed to realize that.”

Shoving Azazel away from her, Kara backed away. “Athena and the citizens of National City are my people now… I don’t need a woman who’s never gotten her hands dirty telling me how to fight her useless wars and protect adulterating kings.”

She glanced to Lena, who stared at her with that look of love once again, her eyes incredibly soft as a slight smile pulled at her lips. Kara couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from twitching up in reply, nodding her head as she backed up.

Returning to her spot, Kara watched Lena quickly switch back to her harsh look, rounding back into Azazel’s view.

“So… Now for the fun part… For me, anyways.”

Her hand flourished, Azazel tensing with a pained gasp as Lena proceeded to show him exactly how badly he fucked up.

**********

Kara had left the catacomb-cells a few hours ago; she was starting to get a migraine from the sound of Azazel’s screams. She didn’t know how much more she could take, her desire for revenge satisfied long ago.

With an understanding nod from Lena, she returned back upstairs. After checking on Sam- who was still passed out, but resting safely in her bed –Kara started to get the list of damages, deaths, and injuries from Lena’s second mates while they solemnly ate a bland dinner.

The death toll was much higher than Kara would have liked, but compared to the wars she’d been a part of, National City got off easy. The damages to the Business District were also bad, but with a year or two of repairs everything would return back to normal.

Kara also had to tell them the unfortunate news of Jac’s heroic demise. One of the second mates who seemed to be rather close with Jac had to get up and quickly leave the room, her face flushed with emotion. Kara frowned, her heart heavy as she watched the other mates faces drop.

“I’m terribly sorry for your loss… I haven’t gotten to interact with the four of you very much, but Jac always seemed to be the first to fill the room with laughter… I can give you the location of her body if you’d like to give her a proper burial.”

The two remaining mates nodded, Kara explaining the path they took, and where she saw Jac go down. The women thanked her before leaving, giving Kara a chance to sit alone and process everything.

It was such a bittersweet day… The scar that Azazel’s men created across National City would always be a grim reminder that the free citizens would never truly be safe. However, they won the battle- and despite the unfillable hole that the deceased created in their loved one’s heart, most everything was fixable.

Not to mention that Kara still had to unpack the knowledge of Lena’s love for her… She was overjoyed to know that her girlfriend shared her feelings, but the fact that Lena probably had to plan how to kill Kara for over an hour while Kara pretended to be a Navy Captain- as well as the fact that both Sam and the city were damaged –made it impossible to really feel that joy.

Sighing, Kara stood and left her half eaten dinner, deciding to go up to her room and get some rest. Lena would possibly be up all night with Azazel, and would most likely find Kara when she was done.

As soon as Kara removed her dirt and blood stained clothing, dressing in a baggy shirt and the most comfortable pants she could find, she crawled straight into bed. Her body was exhausted and still sore from her fall, but her mind continued to race.

She needed to figure out how to get Asher back to National City first thing tomorrow- it was hard enough that she had to stay out in the cold overnight already –as well as visit Sam and make sure her health wasn’t declining.

Lena would probably want to come visit and talk, and Kara had plenty she wanted to say, too; for starters she wanted to find a way to apologize and promise her loyalty to her girlfriend… Then she wanted to address the reasoning for all of the death and destruction today;

Victoria, and her attempted abduction…

She was obviously starting to become impatient… Kara had failed in her mission, managing to fall in love with instead of kill the Queen of the Sea. 

How long would it take Victoria to realize that Azazel wasn’t coming back? How fast would she hire a new bounty hunter?

It was clear Victoria wouldn’t stop until Lena was in her clutches.

Kara knew that it would always be Lena’s cursed destiny to eventually go after and kill her creator… What if now was that time? She wanted to help Lena; to protect her from this evil woman trying to get rid of her.

But would Lena let her help? Did she trust her enough to bring her back onto the sea? Lena had said when they first met that she was going to take Kara to Victoria… Maybe that promise had never gone away.

The only thing that changed was now Victoria was the only one meant to die.

With all these questions spinning round and round in Kara’s head, it was a gift from the gods that she managed to fall asleep. Albeit it was a very light sleep that lacked dreams or that comfortable weight that told her she was actually well rested.

She slept for a few hours, waking only when the sound of her door being carefully pushed open echoed through her room. Kara shifted, rolling onto her back to look at whoever was trying to sneak into her room.

Lena looked exhausted; both emotionally and physically. Her hair had been tied into a bun, but she missed a strand, so it hung down in her face, even when she tried to push it back. She’d also changed, but seemingly forgot to wash the dirt and grime off of her skin, a find dark dusting tinting her pale color.

Of course Kara didn’t care, beckoning her girlfriend over to the bed without question. “Hey, you,” she sleepily greeted as Lena crawled into the bed, flopping down right on top of Kara. She smelt of salty sweat and dirt, but there was still that undertone of leather and old paper that seemed to always cling to her.

Too tired to verbally reply, Lena just hummed her greetings, relaxing completely as Kara wrapped her arms around her.

They were silent for a long moment, simply enjoying the other’s presents. Kara could tell she was recharging Lena’s batter just by holding her like this.

After almost half an hour, Kara finally decided to pull out of her half asleep state to address some of the things on her mind;

“Is he gone?...”

“No… Passed out.” Lena’s voice was soft, still noticeably tired.

“What time is it?”

“Almost dawn.”

“Do you want me to wait, so you can rest some more?”

“No, I’m here… What’s on that beautiful mind of yours?” Lena shifted slightly to kiss Kara’s temple.

Kara couldn’t help but smile softly, her eyes fluttering closed as she went quiet for a moment.

“Are we okay?...”

“What do you mean?” Lena moved so that Kara could turn to look at her, their eyes gently locking. In the early morning moon light Lena looked like an angel, her pale skin practically glowing. The curiosity and confusion that pulled her eyebrows together was almost adolescent, making Kara’s heart flutter with affection.

“What I did… All those things I said about you… I won’t pretend that I know what was going through your head in that moment, but… A lot happened all at once, and it drowned out some of the important parts.”

For a moment Lena was silent, simply studying Kara’s face. Eventually she took in a slow, deep breath, letting it out after a few seconds. “I’m just glad today didn’t end how I thought it was going to… I understand what you were doing, and while I’m not mad, it was really hard to shake my initial reaction to mistrust you... But after what you said to Azazel about me and my people…”

She paused, moving to sit her head up on her elbow. Kara carefully watched her, trying to see if there were any negative emotions on her face, but all she could see was soft affection.

“I trust you now more than I ever have… And I love you, too- I’m so glad you came into my life.”

Lena sweetly smiled, leaning down and softly pressing her lips to her girlfriends. Kara swelled with affection, tightening her arms around her waist. Lena shifted, moving impossibly closer to Kara, her free hand resting on her collar bone.

Before the kiss could deepen Kara carefully pulled away, looking up into Lena’s eyes.

“One last thing…”

Lena hummed to show she was listening, innocently smiling down to Kara.

“… I want to kill Victoria.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I just make Spirit the new mustang Kara rides?.... Mmmaybe .3. ... He's a cool ass horse, okay?!  
> Aaaaaand of course I also have a question for my fellow readers: would you guys like me to find a way to add in smut next chapter?... Or will that mess up the flow and I should just leave out the horny? Let me know in the comments :)
> 
> No Daddy Danvers, tho,  
> -Aries


	15. Loyalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena promise their loyalty to one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn, this is officially the longest fic I've written (Chapter wise... Page wise it's my second longest. this is 271 pages so far).  
> Thank you all for being here! I'm really enjoying how this story is coming out, tbh. Despite it being my least planned out story idea, it's come together nicely. It's all thank to everyone in the comments, giving me amazing ideas to work off of <3
> 
> Enjoy the chapter, everyone!  
> -Aries
> 
> p.s. I didn't put in Daddy Danvers, but I _did_ put in Bratty Danvers... Close enough?

Lena stared at Kara for a long moment, pure confusion in her wide eyes.

“Excuse me?”

Her shock was almost comical, Kara scoffing as she pressed a palm to Lena’s sternum, pushing her so that Kara was now leaning over the top of her girlfriend. Lena limply flopped against the bed, Kara resting her hand on her hip.

“I want to kill Victoria,” Kara repeated looking into those confused green eyes. Despite the violent words, they dripped with affection. 

Now that they weren’t in danger, or torturing the man that led the attack on National City, Kara was able to fully feel her gratitude and love for Lena, knowing she was alive and safe in her arms.

Lena furrowed her eyebrows, frowning slightly. “I-I… Uh… Okay… Why?” She tilted her head, looking all over Kara’s face, trying to find some sort of hint that Kara was joking.

There was the soft sound of rain starting to patter against the many windows in Kara’s large bedroom, filling in the quiet pause as she looked down at Lena. “Because she tried to take something very important to me away,” Kara whispered.

She punctuated the words by reaching up to push the low, untied collar of Lena’s shirt down just enough so that she could see the tip of the thick pale scar above her heart. She pressed her fingers against the skin, smiling softly when she could feel the frantic thumping.

Blue eyes flickered back up to meet green, her small smile staying firm on her lips. 

“I love you… And I want to help you kill this witch- so that she never tries to hurt you again.”

A million questions flashed through Lena’s eyes, but she voiced none of them. Instead, she grabbed the front of Kara’s shirt and pulled her down roughly, so that their lips met. Kara inhaled sharply, not prepared for the suddenly passionate and emotional kiss.

Lena pressed powerfully into her mouth, breaking away only to gasp for air for only a split second before pushing back in with all the affection in the world. After the long day they had, Kara was happy to let the kiss continue in all its ferocity, her sentiment from earlier only growing.

Cool fingers trailed down her torso, moving to grab her hips and pull them so that Kara was straddling over the top of Lena, neither of them breaking their kiss. She shifted her weight onto both hands, propping herself up on either side of Lena’s shoulders.

Hands still on Kara’s hips, Lena started to desperately push them up into her shirt, the coolness of her skin against burning abs making them flex and flutter. Lena grinned into the kiss, obviously loving how powerful her girlfriend was.

Kara’s fingers dug into the comforter, using all of her willpower to pull away, their lips loudly popping against the sound of the rain outside. She was panting, looking down at the blushing woman below her who’s breath was equally as heavy.

“A-Are you sure?” Kara asked through her gasps, swallowing thickly. Lena was nodding before the question was even completely out of Kara’s mouth, her eyes dark as her roaming hands continued to move along heaving sides and shifting hips.

Licking her lips, Lena kept her eyes glued to Kara’s face. “I want to prove my loyalty to you just as much as you want to prove it to me… So why don’t we do that together?” She spoke with confidence, the corners of her still crimson lips pulling up into a smirk that drove Kara nuts.

Suddenly all of the weight that had been resting on either side of Lena’s shoulders was gone, Kara hurrying off of the bed in a flash of blonde curls. Confused, Lena sat up onto her elbows, furrowing her eyebrows as Kara ran for the doors of the bedroom.

For a split second Lena thought that she was literally going to run out of the room, but the sound of the lock loudly turning over the pattering of rain made her realize that Kara had just gotten up to lock the door. She could only laugh, her heart swelling impossibly more for her girlfriend.

Taking the key out of the lock, Kara tossed it somewhere on the bookshelf next to the door, turning to powerfully stride back over to the bed. “I’m not letting anything stop us tonight,” Kara mumbled as she prowled back onto the bed.

Returning to her spot over Lena, she shifted so she was between her legs, grinning when cool hands returned to rest against her hips. Their lips reconnected with the same passion as before, Lena’s unusually cold skin starting to warm as Kara hovered over her.

They held the kiss for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of one another. Lena’s hands respectfully wandered over clothing, brushing against Kara’s thighs and shoulders, still able to feel powerful muscles shift under the fabric.

Kara’s lips eventually strayed away from Lena’s, her heart pounding in her chest as she trailed hot, wet kisses across her jaw. She could feel Lena smile as she ever so slightly nipped at the corner of her jaw, her hands resting against her rib cage.

The previous times Lena and Kara had come close to actually going all the way in their relationship had always been hurried, like they were afraid they were going to run out of time. But this time Kara slowed herself down. She wanted to make sure Lena forgot all about the day before; to make sure the only thing she was thinking about was their time together in the Kara’s bed.

Lena softly sighed under her as she placed hot, open mouth kisses on every inch of her neck. Kara lowered herself a little bit more, her back flexing as her girlfriend started to trail her fingers up her spine. Every kiss and every touch conveyed all the affection in the world, Kara’s skin buzzing at the contact.

Hearing the little noises her girlfriend let out drove Kara to find out every type of gasp, sigh, and moan she could make. Her teeth grazed along Lena’s pulse point, a shiver running down her spine when she let out the breathiest, “Ah…” Kara had ever heard.

The gasp drove her crazy, heat pooling low in her hips. She nipped at the sensitive skin again, Lena involuntarily shifting under her as she hummed softly in pleasure. Kara pulled away just enough to see those beautiful green eyes closed, her bottom lip between perfect white teeth.

Kara took the hands that were gripping gently at the back of her shirt, carefully moving them up into the pillows above Lena’s head. She intertwined their fingers, sighing happily when she felt her girlfriend’s hands flex against hers.

Returning to Lena’s neck, Kara sucked deep purple hickies into her skin, smiling to herself as Lena started to move more and more under her. Her teeth trailed down her neck, moving to the start of her shoulder to nip and lick there, pushing the fabric of her shirt away with her nose.

Lena started to pant, switching between biting her lower lip and letting out soft little moans that made Kara practically purr. Her grasp against her girlfriend’s hands tightened to the point where it was actually starting to hurt, but Kara didn’t dare to let go until Lena was physically asking her to.

“Let me touch you, baby…”

Her voice was high and breathy, ending it with a whiny moan at a particularly sharp nip against her shoulder. Kara obliged, loosening her pinning grip so that Lena could slip her hands free and start to move them under her clothing.

Straight away she went for Kara’s shirt, teasing the hem up slowly, making sure to pause and drag her fingers along Kara’s practically heaving sides. She sat up from Lena’s shoulder momentarily to look down at her, almost moaning at the look of pure arousal in Lena’s eyes.

Her typically immaculate raven locks looked like a sea of black across Kara’s white and gold pillows. Her pale skin was flushed bright red, creeping from her cheeks down to her neck and chest. Her lose front-tie shirt was pulled off one shoulder, the other shoulder bunched around the base of her neck.

Kara could see the tendons and muscle in her neck flexing with each breath, and each dry swallow as she tried to re-wet her mouth. Her lips were slightly parted, kiss-swollen and red. Those typically bright green eyes were a dark emerald, almost completely engulfed in wide pupils.

“Beautiful…” Kara whispered, her words almost drowned out by the rain outside.

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed, aroused confusion cutting across her face. “What?”

“You’re beautiful… Like a goddess.”

Kara slowly leaned down, catching a glimpse of shock and denial flash through dark green eyes. She reconnected their lips heavily, making it her personal goal to kiss away any negative thoughts or words that were running through Lena’s brain.

The feeling of Lena’s nails erotically digging into her skin- as if ‘punishing’ her for saying such sweet words -dragging up roughly on either side of her back. Kara flexed and instinctively shied away from the stinging pain. She pulled away from the heated kiss, her gasp turning into a high, breathy moan as her jaw dropped open, eyebrows furrowing.

The mischievous smirk on Lena’s lips made Kara’s heart thunder heavily between her legs, playfully narrowing her eyes at the sudden shift in atmosphere.

“Oh really? It’s going to be like that, huh?”

Lena only chuckled in response, a daring look in her eye. Kara sat up, ignoring the hands that tried holding her down. She pressed her palm to Lena’s stomach as she sat back on her legs, smirking.

Crossing her forearms, Kara grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head in one fluid motion. She shook her blonde curls as the fabric ruffled her hair, brushing it out of her face as she sat arrogantly in front of Lena.

She looked back down at her girlfriend, excitement buzzing across her skin at the heated stare she was giving her. Lena didn’t seem to know where to look; Her abs? Her breasts? The chiseled ‘V’ of her hips? She hungrily soaked it all in, starting from the swell of her shoulders all the way down to the hem of her lose pants.

Lena reached forward to graze her fingertips against protruding hip bones, but Kara caught her hand and pinned it to the bed. “Ah-ah… You’re not allowed to touch if you’re going to be mean,” Kara teased in a low voice, her smirk only growing.

The look of childish annoyance made her chuckled, grabbing the other hand that tried to reach for her. “Mean?! _You’re_ the one being mean!” Lena’s eyes glared up at Kara, who only laughed more.

Lowering herself back over Lena, she pushed her wrists above her head, pressing her hips into her girlfriend. Kara leaned in close to her ear, brushing the tip of her nose against the shell. “Say the magic word and I’ll let you do whatever you want…”

Kara nipped Lena’s ear lobe before sitting up to look her in the face. The look of pure defiance in her face was predictable- in fact Kara was counting on her being stubborn. The bratty verse inside Kara practically purred seeing her girlfriend being so obstinate.

“The Queen of the Sea doesn’t beg,” Lena huffed through clenched teeth. Kara smiled wide, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Then she doesn’t get to touch.” Shifting both of Lena’s wrists into one hand, she gently booped her girlfriends nose, laughing at the insulted look she was being given.

Taking her free hand, Kara pushed Lena’s loose shirt up to her chest, exposing a deep maroon bra and an incredibly toned stomach. Her hips flexed as she tried to wiggle out of the one-handed hold, but Kara just pressed her wrists further into the pillows.

She gave Lena a playful look, holding eye contact as she leaned down to gently press her lips to the soft pale swells of her girlfriend’s breasts. Lena throatily groaned, letting her head fall against the pillows in frustration.

Kara’s chuckled vibrated against her skin, shifting her eyes to look down at what she was doing. She kissed along the tops of her beasts, nipping softly at the skin but never pushing past the padded cup of the bra.

Lena was still moving against her, trying to work her hands free as Kara gave her chest almost all of her attention. Her free hand roamed against bucking hips and flexing abs, trying not to show just how turned on the feeling of Lena’s toned body underneath her palm made her.

“Kara- Sweetheart… Let me touch you… I want to touch you.”

The sound of Lena’s hoarse pleading made Kara look up, her blue eyes sparkling in amusement. “Those aren’t the magic words.”

“I’m _not_ going to say ‘please’, dammit!”

Suddenly Kara’s hands let Lena’s wrists go, sitting up with a wide smile. Lena looked bewildered, her arms frozen above her head.

“W-What? Why did you let go?”

“Because you said the magic word.”

“I… What?... No I didn’t-“

Realization that she did in fact say ‘please’ flooded Lena’s face, quickly replaced by determined annoyance.

One second Kara was sitting back on her legs, the next she was staring up at her girlfriend as she straddled her hips, the soft duvet of her bed pressed against her almost bare back. “I swear to god if you twist my words into me saying ‘please’ I’m going to make you regret it. Don’t tell _anyone_!” Lena’s breath was hot against Kara’s face as she hissed her false threat.

Seeing the way Lena was so worked up, having managed to flip Kara over onto her back with ease made the brat in her chest swoon, a noticeable wetness settling between her legs. Kara shifted her hips erotically into the woman above her, openly showing how turned on she was now.

“Yeah?... How are you going to make me regret it?”

Kara’s voice was high and breathy, her entire chest flushed while heat rolled off of her in waves. For a moment Lena looked surprised by the look she was being given, not expecting Kara to switch from dominant to submissive so fast- the joys of being a verse… Or maybe the term ‘brat’ was a little more accurate, but who cares?

Now with all the power, Lena slowly leaned down and pressed her lips against Kara’s ear. She reached between them, her palm sliding against burning abs and straight into Kara’s underwear. Long fingers slid through drenched folds, her jaw dropping and eyebrows furrowing as Lena’s pads circled her entrance.

“I’ll make sure you won’t be able to walk straight for a week.”

Kara arched at the promising threat, both her and Lena able to feel the sudden increase of wetness between her legs. Lena sat up slightly, her nose brushing against Kara’s as her nostrils flared. The fingers that had been gripping the comforter below them for dear life slowly reached up to cup both of Lena’s cheeks.

“I love you…”

Pulling Lena’s lips to hers, Kara kissed her lover deeply, breathing heavily through her nose as Lena kissed her back with just as much vigor. Kara only broke away for a brief moment, whispering into the kiss, “My Goddess…”

Fingers started to move against slick heat, making Kara arch her back off of the bed, inhaling sharply as her soft moan was swallowed up by her lover. Kara’s eyebrows furrowed more as she felt the pads of Lena’s fingers slide up to loosely circle around her clit.

Sweat was already starting to prickle up Kara’s spine, her heart rate increasing tenfold as dull pleasure zipped through her hips while Lena teased her. Removing her hands from her lover’s cheeks, Kara removed her own bra, tossing it somewhere off the bed.

Lena, receiving the message loud and clear, briefly pulled her lips and hand away to help remove loose pants and drenched underwear. She was just about to go back to what she was doing when Kara started to grab at her own dark clothing, pulling her front tie shirt over her head frantically.

The only sound in the room was the heavy rain hitting the windows and roof, mixed with panting gasps as both women hurriedly undressed the raven-haired goddess. As soon as every inch of her pale skin was exposed, she fell back over Kara.

Red lips latched around a dusky nipple, long fingers returning to dripping folds. Kara moaned softly, arching into Lena’s mouth as she gripped tightly at the flexing wrist between her legs and her own blonde curls.

She could feel Lena’s fingers slowly drawing closer to that sensitive bundle of nerves, her hips bucking lightly off the plush bed. It took almost all of Kara’s self-control not to just start humping against Lena’s hand, trying to give her the control she’s so used to.

Finally, soft finger pads started to circle tightly against her clit, waves of pleasure rolling through her hips with each circle. Soft, careful gasps quickly gave way to a mixture of filthy moans and Lena’s name with every passing second, Kara’s head tilted to the side.

“Ah, ah, ahhh… Fffuh… Fuck… Mmm- Lena, baby… Fuck, _Lena_ …”

The mouth that switched from breast to breast nipped sharply at an erect bud, making Kara’s head jump off of the pillows. “ _Fuck_ \- Lena!”

A soothing tongue laved over the stinging pain, making Kara sigh between her moaning. She felt Lena start to shift her weight, her fingers still working as she moved her kisses up to Kara’s neck.

“Does it feel good, Sweetheart?” Lena checked in, her words a whisper in Kara’s ear.

“S-So… Mmm- So good, baby…”

The longer Lena rubbed tight circles against her, the more pleasure rolled through Kara’s hips. Within minutes she could tell that she was going to cum any minute, her moans and cusses growing more frantic.

“God- Lena… Don’t stop. Just like that, don’t _stop_!”

Kara’s back arched off the bed, the mixture of Lena’s teeth and fingers sending her over the edge. Blinding white pleasure crashed over her body like a tsunami. Each little circle of Lena’s fingers made every passing second better than the last as Kara came hard.

She fell limp against the bed, Lena’s fingers slowing to an agonizing pace until eventually they stopped all together. Soft, wet lips pressed gently against the corner of Kara’s panting mouth, smiling when Kara could only half-heartedly move her head to nuzzle her cheek.

“I love you, Sweetheart.”

Kara’s eyebrows furrowed, her blue eyes slowly blinking open to look up at her lover. She smiled wide, sleepy eyes struggling to focus. “I love you, too,” Kara whispered, leaning up to kiss Lena with a little more coordination.

They held the slow, passionate kiss for multiple minutes before Kara started to move under Lena. She gently grabbed her lover’s hips, guiding her to lay down on her back next to Kara. Shifting to lay on her side, propping herself up onto an elbow, Kara’s eyes openly scanned over every inch of pale skin next to her.

Taking her hand, she gently grazed her fingertips over protruding hips and a fluttering stomach. “So beautiful,” Kara whispered absentmindedly, earning a soft kiss on the shoulder. The kiss made her look back up at Lena’s face, mirroring her wide smile.

Leaning in to kiss Lena, she whispered countless, “I love You”’s, against her lips. The hand not holding her weight continued to explore, feeling her sides, her breasts, the scars on her chest. Anywhere she could get to, she was touching.

Lena sighed softly into the slow, deep kiss, her own hands pressing against Kara’s burning skin. After a long while, Kara’s exploration brought her to her lover’s thighs. She gently grazed her fingertips along the inside, feeling the heat radiating between them.

Kara had half a mind to tease Lena- see if she couldn’t push her to show that dominant side again –but with how Lena was already starting to push her hips against her hand, Kara decided against it.

Instead, she took her middle and ring finger, slowly dipping it into dripping heat. Instantly Lena moaned into Kara’s mouth, sending butterflies swooping through her stomach.

Her fingers explored, finding the source of the wetness before circling around the outside. She brushed against Lena’s clit, smiling at how her hips jumped at the sensation. She explored until her lover started to reach up and grab her wrist, guiding her fingers down towards her entrance.

A rush of heat rolled down Kara’s spine at the very obvious message, instantly obliging her girlfriend.

Lena easily accepted her middle finger, walls fluttering at the touch. Kara drew her finger in and out for a minute or two before slowly dipping her ring finger in as well. Lena’s moan vibrated against Kara’s lips as she pumped her fingers in and out at a glacially slow pace.

Once she was certain Lena wouldn’t be in any discomfort, Kara started to move her fingers a little faster. All she was doing was moving them in and out- not flexing them or pressing against anything. She experimented with how far in she could reach, blushing at the obscene noises with each push of her fingers.

But the wet noises were quickly drowned out with Lena’s even more obscene moans. Kara pulled away from the kiss, starting to curl her fingers deep inside her, her knuckles pressed flush against Lena’s drooling entrance.

Kara didn’t know what she wanted to watch more; her hand moving in quick thrusting motions between Lena’s legs, or the purely erotic faces her girlfriend was making. Her eyes were squeezed closed, cheeks flushed and jaw hanging ajar.

Lena’s full chest heaved with each breath, the tendons flexing in her neck once again. The arm that rested under Kara’s waste flexed, her nails digging painfully yet lustfully into the small of her lover’s back. The other hand gripped the duvet so roughly Kara was worried she might rip the fabric, but didn’t dare warn her to let go.

The pornographic sight under her drove Kara to move her pumping fingers faster. Each moan that left Lena’s lips went straight to Kara’s clit as her dark blue eyes studied every flexing muscle in her face and body.

She swallowed hard, her mouth dry as she started to curl the pads of her fingers more aggressively into the soft front wall of her girlfriend, dragging them out until she could feel the soft spongey tissue just behind her clit. She’d pump multiple times against the g-spot before roughly pushing all the way to her knuckles again.

“Kara… Oh, Kara! Yes, f-fuck. Ah, ah, mmm… God, just like _that_ … Holy fuck, _baby_ … Oh my god, _Kara_!!!”

Now Lena was starting to arch off the bed, as if asking Kara to show her chest some attention. Of course she obliged, happily laving her tongue along the closest nipple. The action earned a surprised gasp, the fist balled in white sheets suddenly moving to tangle in blonde locks.

Kara moaned against the nipple in her mouth as Lena tugged a fist-full of hair. She flexed her shoulders, struggling to keep her rhythm as the distracting pull.

Thankfully she didn’t have to fight against the distraction for long, Lena drawing in a long breath as she suddenly went quiet. Her mouth dropped in a silent scream, eyebrows knitted tightly together as her back arched high of the bed.

Strong fingers pumped powerfully against Lena’s g-spot as she came, reveling in the sound of her name tumbling from her lips as soon as Lena was able to catch her breath again. She came hard, hot fluid pouring out against Kara’s fingers.

Her pumping slowed enough to allow Lena to catch her breath, pulling away from her hickie covered chest to sweetly kiss her cheek. Kara never stopped moving her fingers, her wrinkled pads drawing against fluttering walls at a glacial pace.

“Fuck,” Lena panted, her green eyes closed, “and you call _me_ a goddess?!”

Kara hummed a chuckle, her pride swelling as she kissed all along her lovers flexing jaw. “If you just saw what I saw, then you’d be calling yourself a goddess as well…”

Lena’s eyes opened, locking with sparkling blue. She couldn’t help but smile back at her lover’s goofy grin, untangling her hands from her hair to gently brush a thumb against her cheek.

With the distraction of Kara’s loving blue eyes, Lena didn’t notice that her fingers were starting to move with a little more determination again. It was only when Kara shifted to press the heal of her palm against her sensitive clit that drew Lena’s attention back to the hand between her legs.

She inhaled sharply, hips involuntarily bucking up off of the bed. “W-Woah, Kara-“ Lena started, but when Kara applied more pressure with her palm, she trailed off. Green eyes rolled back, her head falling heavily against plush pillows.

Kara worked her fingers just like she did last time, but with the addition of her palm against Lena’s clit it was no surprise she came much faster the second time. Kara watched happily at the same display showed only two minutes earlier, smiling wide at how Lena came undone around her fingers.

She started to go for a third orgasm, but the hand forcing her to pull out of searing walls told her differently. “I can’t- Fuck… Sweetheart, I can’t handle another one right now.” Kara pouted, half tempted to try and test if Lena was serious or not.

However, not wanting to push any boundaries, she decided to listen to her lover. She kissed her softly, shifting to hover over her, both hands resting on either side of her. Lena smiled into the kiss, running her hands along Kara’s stomach.

After a few minutes Lena pulled away, slightly breathless. “How about you get a little more sleep?... I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.” She herself looked exhausted, eyelids low over her eyes. Kara softly smiled, pressing multiple kisses to her lover’s cheeks before shuffling off of her.

“Okay… I’ll be right back.” Kara carefully slid off of the bed, grabbing her discarded clothing. Lena hummed in acknowledgement, stretching across the bed as she got a little more comfortable. Trotting across the large room, Kara disappeared into the bathroom to clean herself up.

After a few minutes, she returned to the room, changing into clean underwear before padding over to the bed. Lena’s eyes were closed, still sprawled across the duvet naked. Kara smiled, gently poking her thigh to get her up so she could remove the dirty cover.

Although Lena groaned, complaining about having to move, she did eventually get up to help Kara clean up a little bit before grabbing one of her girlfriend’s oversized shirts and pulling it over her head. Kara had crawled back into bed, but paused before getting under the covers when she saw just how domestic Lena looked.

Her hair was messily pulled into a bun, her makeup washed off after the long day before, a large t-shirt that reached just to mid-thigh… She looked absolutely gorgeous in the early morning moonlight, her pale skin glowing as she knelt onto the bed, crawling on her knees over to where Kara sat with her legs curled in front of her.

Realizing she was being stared at, Lena paused, quirking her eyebrow. “Uh… What?” She self-consciously looked down, trying to figure out what Kara was staring at. Wordlessly she grabbed Lena, wrapping her arms around her lover before pulling her down so that they cuddled close together.

“You make me feel like the luckiest woman alive,” Kara whispered into Lena’s earthy-smelling hair.

Lena chuckled softly, shifting to press a brief kiss to her girlfriend’s lips.

“That’s mine line, Sweetheart.”

**********

When Kara woke up, her arms were empty.

It was still lightly raining out, the early morning sun dulled by thick grey clouds. Past the sound of the soft raindrops pattering against glass, Kara was lethargically aware that she could hear water being poured somewhere in the distance.

She shifted, rolling onto her back to blink up at the decorative drapes above her canopy bed. Her entire body was sore, multiple joints popping all at once, making Kara groan. She was getting too old to be fighting bounty hunters and getting thrown off of beloved horses… Albeit she was only twenty-five- almost twenty-six –but still, she felt too old...

Kara slowly sat up with a deep sigh, pushing her wild curls out of her face. Lena was nowhere to be seen, but Kara recognized that the sound of what seemed to be running water was coming from the bathroom.

Confused, she slowly edged off of the bed, treading on bare feet across the cold wood floor to see what the sound was. Kara peaked her head through one of the two doorways of the bathroom just in time to see Lena closing one of the windows.

Behind her was a massive claw-foot tub filled almost to the brim with water. Kara furrowed her eyebrows, glancing between the tub and the window. Lena, realizing she wasn’t alone anymore, turned and smiled sweetly to her lover.

“How are you feeling, Sweetheart?” Her green eyes flickered to the bruising that had appeared overnight, obviously trying not to frown at the memory of exactly how she got that bruising.

Stepping further into the bathroom, Kara moved to dip her fingers into the tub. The water was cool, and smelt oddly like… rain?

“I uh… I feel a little sore- wait, did you just fill the tub with rain water?” She looked over to Lena, who bashfully smiled. “Asking someone to bring water bucket by bucket up here sounded like a very loud and terrible idea… I was hoping to surprise you.”

Lena moved over to the tub as well, dipping her own slender fingers into the water. She focused for a moment, steam slowly starting to rise from the calm surface after a few seconds.

“What the- how did you do that?!” Kara gasped, feeling the water warm to the perfect bathing temperature.

Lena shrugged, smiling at her girlfriend’s amazement. “It’s kind of hard to explain… I just know I can change the temperature to whatever I like; it just takes a little more focus than usual.” She reached over to a small side table situated next to the tub that was covered in fragranced lotions and other odd ingredients to put into the water.

She took a large blue glass vial, pulling the stopper out to pour a thick creamy liquid into the water to give it a cloudy white color. It smelt like oatmeal and vanilla, Kara inhaling deeply as she smiled fondly at the scent.

Walking around the tub towards Lena, Kara gently hugged her from behind, smiling into her neck. “Why the surprise?” She mumbled, punctuating her question with an affectionate kiss to her shoulder. Lena hummed softly, leaning back into her lover’s broad chest.

“To say thank you for last night… And yesterday in general.”

Kara tightened her arms, watching Lena add a few more scented liquids to the bath water, enhancing its sweet smell. “You know you don’t have to thank me… For either of those things.” Lena turned around in Kara’s arms, smiling fondly up to her.

“I know. But I want to… I want to show you how much I appreciate you, and everything you’ve done for me.” She stood up on her bare tiptoes, softly pressing her lips against Kara’s. She sighed into the kiss, hands shifting to grab at the shirt that loosely hung from Lena’s shoulders.

Pulling the long t-shirt off, Kara couldn’t help but let her eyes roam around Lena’s toned body and perky chest. A subconscious smile pulled at her lips as she silently thought about how she was the luckiest woman in the world.

Looking back up, Kara’s smile grew seeing the blush that started to creep across Lena’s cheeks. “My Goddess,” Kara softly mumbled, leaning in to sweetly kiss her again.

It didn’t take long for Lena to start pulling Kara’s underwear off, backing up until she was stepping into the still steaming water. Kara followed, sighing at the soothing temperature as she slowly sank into the cloudy bath.

Lena sank down into the water with her, turning so that she was resting back against Kara’s front. Of course she wrapped her arms around Lena, pulling her in close so that she could softly kiss at the now damp skin that- despite the scented bath –still smelt off old books and mahogany.

They sat silently like that for a long while, simply enjoying the other’s company. Even after Kara knew the water should be starting to lose its warm temperature, it didn’t get any colder. She rested her head back against the high side of the tub, starting to drift back into a light sleep.

Lena’s velvety voice echoing in the large bathroom broke Kara out of her hazy state, shifting to sit her head back up again. “Hm?” She hummed in question, not processing the words Lena was speaking.

Her girlfriend scoffed, turning slightly to look at her. “I asked ‘do you still want to go after Victoria’?” Just hearing the witch’s name made Kara frown, her blood boiling in anger for the false queen. “Of course,” she answered in a strong voice, nodding firmly.

“That mean’s going back to the main land,” Lena reasoned, her green eyes studying Kara’s face. She softly brushed her lips against her lovers wet shoulder. “I know…” It came out in a mumble, Kara’s eyes unfocusing for a moment at the thought of going back to a place she once considered her home.

Her mother and sister still lived under Victoria; loyal to a fault… They probably thought Kara was dead, and as much as she missed them, maybe it was better that they kept that mindset. 

What she was planning on doing- killing the woman they believed to be the true ruler of their continent –wouldn’t go over well with them at all…

Alex, Kara’s sister, worked in the guard force that policed the area Kara had originally lived; where Alex _still_ lived. Her blatant trust in the government meant hatred for the free people Lena watched after. If she learned what Kara had turned into- a pirate –then she would probably never forgive her.

Not to mention she would throw a fit if she knew how intimate she was with the literal Pirate Queen…

Kara’s mother might be a little more understanding about her daughters change of heart, but to learn that she was planning on assassinating her queen would only end in a broken heart and possible arrest if Eliza tried to warn Victoria before they could finish their mission.

So, instead Kara settled for the old memories she had of her family… She’d rather hang onto the happy images of her mother and sister before her last deployment, rather than soil them with resentment and sadness- even if it hurt like hell knowing she couldn’t see them, despite being _so close_ …

Lena stared at Kara for a moment, watching her eyes swim with emotion. “… If I knew how important you would be to me all those months ago… I would have _never_ taken you away from your family- your life –like that…” She frowned, leaning to press her forehead softly against Kara’s damp cheek.

Strong arms wrapped around Lena, surprising her with their tenderness. Kara pulled her impossibly closer, taking in a deep breath of her scent. 

“It’s impossible to have known that, Lena… Neither of us can hold onto these negative feelings; it’ll just turn us resentful towards one another- besides, if you didn’t capture me and bring me to National City, I would have never learned that our people aren’t the enemy.”

“’Our people’?”

“Like I said yesterday; you, and everyone else in National City, are my family now… I care for them just as much as you do.”

Lena turned in Kara’s arms, shifting to straddle her thighs. She wrapped her arms around her lover’s neck, staring into those addicting baby blues.

“I think I’m falling in love with you more and more by the second…”

Kara smiled sweetly, her face flooding with affection and happiness. “I’m glad you feel the same way I do… Otherwise this situation would be really awkward.” Her eyes glanced down to Lena’s exposed body pressed against her.

The two laughed together- a musical sound against the pattering rain and occasional thunder in the distance. Lena leaned in, pressing her lips against Kara’s passionately. Her fingers played with wet, golden locks.

Strong hands wrapped around Lena’s hips, fingers squeezing against her heated skin gently. She smirked into the kiss, her mind jumping to all the things she’d love to do to Kara in this bath tub.

But a strong knock on the bedroom door interrupted her lustful idea’s. Kara flinched at the knock, roughly pulling away from the kiss in surprise.

“Kara- It’s Sam! She’s awake!” The voice of a second mate called so loudly through the door that they could hear it in the bathroom.

Both Kara and Lena shared a look before they suddenly started to scramble out of the bathtub all at once. The second mate continued to yell about how she was unable to find Lena, so Kara called back, “I’ll find her myself- we’ll be there shortly.”

Lena snorted at the frantic lie, smirking at Kara as she quickly dried off with a thick towel. She just gave a shrug, unable to think of a better excuse; it’s not like she could just say that Lena was in there with her- behind a locked door, mind you.

Dressing quickly, Kara and Lena hurried out of the room to go visit their friend. Sam was in her room- which was situated in one of the many halls that contained countless guest rooms –sitting against a mountain of pillows to prop herself up.

Kara had barged through the doors first, relief washing through her when she laid eyes on her best friend. Sam looked pale and tired, her hair frizzled and dirty. She was still wrapped in bandages, but they looked to have been changed at some point during the night.

Lena was right behind Kara, stumbling past her to rush over to where Sam sat. “How are you feeling!?” Were the first words out of her mouth, visibly having to hold herself back from jumping straight onto her close friend.

Sam smiled softly, her face showing her exhaustion. “Burns quite a bit, but… I’ll pull through; that’s all that matters.” Large brown eyes scanned Lena from top to bottom, clearly looking for any sort of injury. All of Lena’s bruises had healed overnight, of course- unlike Kara and Sam’s.

“Kara saved both of us… She found you, then came for me before they could get away… We’ve got that Kieran bastard in the cells, and the rest of his crew is dead,” Lena explained, noticing the concerned look. Sam looked over to Kara, giving her a grateful smile.

“Good to know you’re a true keeper, Kara- although I already knew that from the beginning,” Sam chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Kara bashfully smiled at the compliment, walking further into the room.

“You gave us a scare… I thought you were dead when I saw you on the floor of the throne room,” Kara admitted, a flash of anxiety at the memory passing across her face. “Yeah… I thought I was dead, too… I can’t thank you enough.”

Sam reached forward carefully, grapping Kara’s hand to give it a soft squeeze. “Don’t mention it, Sam. You’ve been there for me all this time; the least I could do was be there for you, too- plus I didn’t even do any of the work; the medics were the one who patched you up!”

She gestured to the bandages around Sam’s torso, laughing lightly. Sam hummed in agreement, glancing down at the wrappings for a moment.

There was a brief pause where everyone went silent, Sam visibly contemplating something. She looked up, eyes locking onto Lena. “So, who exactly were those people?”

Lena explained the entire situation, Kara interjecting some details here and there; Azazel and his bounty hunters, his mission to capture Lena, the collar that repressed her powers.

By the end of it everyone was frowning, Lena sitting on the edge of the bed while Kara leaned against the footboard with her arms crossed over her chest. Just the re-telling of the story made her blood start to pump faster in her veins.

The story reminded her that she needed to go back out and find Asher’s body- to at least give her a proper burial.

Frowning, she pushed off of the bed, moving to stand next to where Lena sat. “I’m going to need to leave town for a little while- just for a few hours… Why don’t you two start planning on what we’re going to do about Victoria?”

Both women frowned at Kara, Lena moving to stand, knowing what she was referring to. “You don’t want any help?” Kara looked down at her boots for a moment, eyebrows furrowing. “I’d like to do this alone…” She didn’t want the pressure of someone watch her mourn her horse to ruin such an important moment to her.

Obviously wanting to protest, Lena opened her mouth. It was Sam’s hand gently brushing her forearm that made her stop, turning to look at her friend. “We’ll be here when you get back, Kara,” Sam reassured, shooting Lena a warning look.

“Thanks, guys… I’ll be back before dinner…” At first Kara moved to step away, but Lena’s fingers grasping her shirt made her pause. The kiss was quick and surprising, but as Lena pulled away she offered a reassuring smile.

Sam didn’t seem to show any disapproval when Kara glanced at her, simply grinning at seeing both of them happy- her previous shock and feelings of betrayal gone.

With a final nod, Kara turned and left the room. She walked briskly, the bath from earlier helping with her sore muscles quite a bit. She found her way into the stables, pausing when she realized that she could no longer keep her habit of going straight to Asher’s old stall.

Kara slowly walked down the line of horses, looking in to see if any of them caught her eye. She stopped towards the last stall, noticing that the stallion she’d ridden the day before was patiently chewing on some hay. He was a very handsome and muscular horse, with no one having claimed him as their own yet.

Taking a deep breath, she walked to the tack room, grabbing the still bloody saddle that the stallion came with. Cleaning it off, she then took it over to her new horse, leading him out of the stall.

Before she saddled him, Kara took a few minutes to brush his beautiful golden coat and long black hair. She contemplated names, glancing at his long face and large brown eyes to try and see what would fit him.

“Nikon?... No… Berly? Nuh-uh… Albatros? Absolutely not.”

She bit her lip, walking around him to grab his saddle and toss it over onto his back. The stallion was considerably taller and skinner than Asher, despite his extra muscle.

Pausing, Kara took a few shuffling steps back to look her new mount from head to tail.

“… Enzo?”

The horse snorted loudly, big brown eyes focused on Kara. She smiled at the gesture- even if it was probably him just trying to get dust out of his nose –deciding that it meant he liked the new name.

“Right… Enzo it is.”

Kara finished saddling Enzo, grabbing a shovel and some length of rope before leading him out of the stables. She pulled herself into the unfamiliar leather seat, adjusting herself for a moment before kicking the stallion into a trot.

Enzo was much touchier than Asher was; the mare always seemed to have a sort of lazy sway to her. She preferred a slow pace, and would only listen to Kara’s feet if they were really digging into her side… Enzo, on the other hand, seemed to be chomping at the bit to just gallop down the main street of National City.

It took her a while to get used to the new fiery personality below her, but eventually Kara started to find a sort of connection with her new stallion. She managed to hold him back until they reached just outside the still twisted gates of the city.

As soon as Enzo’s hooves touched the dirt Kara let him loose. Like a bolt of lightning he thundered down the pathway, tossing his head in the howling wind of the moors. Kara was content to let him set his own pace, simply holding into the horn of her saddle while the other loosely held the reins.

Enzo galloped almost the entire way to where Asher’s body was. Even when they did reach the bitter site, he was cantering rather quickly. Kara reigned him back as they reached the carnage of her old horse, a heavy weight settling on her shoulders.

Asher’s grey fur was clad with dirt and blood, still damp from the rain that still sprinkled down from the sky. Enzo’s nostrils flared at the scent of blood, snorting wildly as his long ears stood at attention. Kara reined him back to stop a few yards from Asher’s body, afraid he’d bolt at the site and scent of her as soon as she was out of the saddle.

Luckily Enzo stayed put as Kara dismounted, reaching up to grab the shovel strapped to the back of her horse. Taking in a deep breath, a sickly-sweet scent filled her nose as she moved closer to the still body. She hadn’t seen Jac or her horse on the way over, so the second mates must have gotten her the night before.

At first Kara was reluctant to get close to Asher, afraid of getting sick at the site of her body. However, her guilt at the loss of Asher’s life pushed her to at least give Asher’s long face one more hug before she started to dig her grave on the side of the road- there was no place to bury her in National City, and it would have been too difficult to transport such a large animal back.

Shuffling over, Kara set the shovel down so she was able to kneel and grab a hold of Asher’s head. She was very heavy, and incredibly stiff, but that didn’t stop Kara from picking her up and pressing their foreheads together.

Asher’s fur was wet against Kara’s already damp skin, her entire body freezing cold. Thankfully there was too much dirt covering Asher’s front, so Kara wasn’t able to make out much of the carnage of her chest, but there was still something noticeably wrong with how low her legs hung.

Trying to ignore the swirl of disgust settling deep in her stomach, Kara held Asher’s face closer, closing her eyes. “I’ll miss you, ol’ girl… Thank you for being there when I thought I was completely alone…”

Tears welled in her eyes, the salty liquid rolling down her cold cheeks. Kara sniffled, moving to set Asher’s head down very slowly. She knelt there for a long moment, just gently petting her wet grey fur; trying to will those blank brown eyes to fill with life once again.

But no matter how long she stared, Asher didn’t move. Brushing a few more tears off of her cheeks, Kara stood and grabbed her shovel. She started to dig right next to Asher’s body, just off of the muddy pathway that she was laying across.

At first Kara didn’t do much digging; it was more like moving large rocks and stones out of a large area. But eventually she managed to get down to the soft dirt, marking out the size of the grave before she started to dig.

It was exhausting, dirty, and painful; Kara dug, and dug, and dug… She tossed dirt into a large pile for what felt like days- but in reality was only hours. At one point she considered going back to National City to get some real help, but her determination to do this on her own persevered.

As Kara dug the grave, she thought of how different things would have been without Asher. Sure, she was just a horse, but to Kara she was the one who made the first part of her journey bearable. Her connection to the mare was what kept her from losing her mind.

Had Asher died or been taken away from her months ago, the life Kara had now would probably be considerably different; Currently Kara was in love, with an amazing best friend and an even more amazing girlfriend.

But if she’d lost her horse on top of her best friend, and her entire crew… Kara would be too bitter and grief stricken to even consider getting anywhere close to Lena and Sam. She’d go crazy from all the anger and sorrow of losing everything that mattered to her.

Asher’s death in this imaginary past would have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

It was odd to think things, but Kara was glad her mare died when she did- although she wished she never died like this at all…

It took almost five hours to dig about four feet into the ground. Kara was panting and sweating by the time she finally got to this point. Her golden hair was now drenched from both the exercise, as well as the misting rain that seemed to never want to stop.

Brushing her sticky, wet hair from where it was plastered to her forehead, Kara decided that if the grave wasn’t deep enough, then she’d just find some rocks to pile over the mound of dirt. Tossing her shovel to the side, Kara climbed out of the grave and went over to where Enzo was patiently waiting.

She grabbed the rope off of her saddle, bringing it over to Asher. Kara tied all of her legs with the rope before going over to grab Enzo’s reigns. She carefully led him over, watching his body language to make sure he didn’t suddenly decide to bolt.

Although he kept snorting and flicking his ears back, the stallion kept calm. Whispering words of encouragement, Kara carefully tied the end of the rope to her saddle horn before pulling herself up into the saddle.

Guiding Enzo, she steered him to walk around the grave before kicking him into a fast enough walk where he could drag Asher’s body into the grave. It wasn’t exactly the best way, but it would have been impossible for Kara to get her mare onto a cart- or push her by herself, for that matter.

Asher fell softly into the grave, Kara pulling Enzo to stop as soon as she was centered as much as possible. Reluctantly she got off, untying the rope from her saddle to carefully toss into the grave with Asher.

Now she had to just take all the dirt she moved out of the grave not five minutes ago… and put it back…

Trying not to groan- it felt disrespectful to think that this whole situation was a hassle –Kara grabbed her shovel and spent another two hours filling in the grave.

With the added mass of Asher, there was a sizable mound of dirt on the side of the path. Kara stared at the mound for a moment before huffing and deciding that yes, she did in fact need to pile stones over the grave. As soon as this rain got any worse, the dirt would wash right off.

Luckily there were plenty of stones that Kara was able to lug over and pile on top of the grave. It didn’t take her _too_ long, but with the exhaustion from digging the grave it felt like forever.

“I should have just accepted Lena’s help, for fucks sake,” Kara panted, pushing a sizable stone onto the grave with a grunt. “Why did I say no?... I don’t care if she sees me cry… This is so much damn work… Really, Asher? You’re going to do this to your beloved rider?...”

At this point all she could really do was chuckle, a sense of acceptance pouring over her like warm water.

Finally, the grave was finished. Kara took multiple steps back, still breathing like an asthmatic athlete, surveying the stone-mound with a satisfied nod. Asher was safely in the ground, and Kara could now move on for good.

Grabbing the discarded shovel, Kara whispered one last goodbye before heaving herself up onto her new mount.

She looked down at the grave for a brief moment before nodding and kicking Enzo into a slow walk.

“Come on, buddy… Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been planning on a surprise for Kara for the past 3 chapters, but I keep adding so much stuff that I can't get to the damn gift!!! I swear, next chapter will be a major development for the plot (Also I plan on putting more smut, because I'm a goblin).
> 
> Till next time!  
> -Aries


	16. Captain Danvers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena gives Kara multiple surprises before they head off to fight Victoria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me- _look at me_
> 
> ... I am the captain now
> 
> -Aries

Kara stood in her doorway, looking around her room silently. The early morning sunrise shined in bright rays through the countless windows, scattering across the beautiful wooden floors. The room she called her own was now almost completely empty of all personal items.

All her clothing had been taken away days ago- save for a weeks’ worth that she’d packed into a small bag, so she still has _some_ outfits –along with all the books and knick knacks she’d accumulated from the shops of National City.

The only thing that was still really in the room was her canopy bed, her desk, some furniture, and heavy wooden bookshelves. They were all too big to send to the original port The Devil’s Heart was currently sitting in, so Kara had to leave them at the castle.

A month had passed since the attack on National City. Lena, Sam, and Kara all made detailed plans on how they would get to the main land and take down Victoria. Unfortunately, Sam’s deep wound across her chest made it impossible for her to be able to handle the stress of travel, nor battle.

As much as Kara wished Sam could help them out with their next adventure, she knew it would be unwise to postpone this trip too much; the more time the wasted, the more time Victoria had to realize that Azazel failed his mission.

Azazel was somehow still alive, chained up in the dungeon below. It seemed that Kara’s previous fate had been switched with Azazel; Lena planned on keeping him chained up, so she could bring the failed bounty hunter straight to Victoria- to kill him in front of her.

If it had been anyone else, Kara would have protested against Lena’s plan; it’d be better to execute them in National City, versus dragging them slowly to their death. However, considering this was Azazel they were talking about, she didn't even give the plan a second thought, agreeing with it.

Kara sighed, putting her hands in her pockets as she gave her room one more once-over. She figured this wasn’t her final good-bye, but last time she left a place she considered her home, she never returned to it.

Satisfied that she had all her last-second items packed up and put on a cart that waited just outside of the castle, Kara gave one last nod and closed the heavy doors. They gave a finalizing _thump_ as they closed, the noise echoing down the turret.

Turning, she trotted down her small tower to go meet Lena outside the stables. Enzo and Outlaw had already been saddled up earlier that morning, thanks to some of the citizens who had been helping them pack up their belongings for their long journey.

Lena was outside, calling out orders in that authoritative voice that Kara loved so much, pointing people in directions. There was a large hustle-and-bustle all around, everyone freaking out about how soon they were about to depart.

Strolling over to her lover, Kara offered a small smile when green eyes turned to look at her. “So you have everything, then?” Lena asked, that authority from her voice dropping into a tone of sweet concern. Kara nodded, moving to grab Enzo from the post he was tied to.

“I’m all set. What about here?” She looked at the small group of crew members who lived up in the castle with Lena all getting their horses and wagons ready. For the most part they looked all packed, with only a few people still tying luggage down.

Moving to grab her dark stallion, Lena also glanced around the small court yard. “Whoever’s not ready by now can catch up. It’s a three-day long ride, and we’re a pretty big group; it’d be hard to lose us.” Kara scoffed, about to climb onto Enzo when suddenly a figure briskly walked over to them.

“Were you seriously going to leave without saying good-bye?!” Sam asked, feigning insult as she propped her fists on both hips. Kara laughed, all three women knowing damn well that they already said good-bye both last night and earlier that morning.

Regardless, Kara dropped her reins to give Sam a big hug. “Keep the kingdom safe while we’re gone, Sammy,” she mumbled into her best friend’s shoulder as she gave her a careful squeeze. “Don’t worry, it’ll still be up when you guys get back,” Sam laughed back.

Pulling away, Sam gave Lena a tight hug as well. She whispered something to Lena, who glanced over at Kara before whispering something back. Kara quirked her eyebrow, but her lover gave no explanation as she pulled out of the hug.

“Stay safe, guys. Send me a falcon when you get to the town,” Sam smiled wide as her two best friends mounted their horses, looking down at her. She backed up to give them room, Kara giving her a final wave and beaming smile before she turned to face straight. Lena also gave her a wave, seemingly much more relaxed in leaving Sam than Kara was.

Outlaw jumped into a trot, Enzo following right beside him as Lena called out to those who were ready to start their journey to meet with the other 75% of the crew waiting outside of town for them. Multiple groups jumped onto their horses and into their wagons, a large swell in noise sounding behind them as everyone hurried to leave.

Kara silently trotted next to Lena for a moment, glancing up at the castle as they left. “What did Sam say to you?” Her curiosity took the better of her, looking over to her girlfriend. Lena smirked, having already predicted that Kara was going to question the look from earlier.

“She was just telling me to keep you safe,” she replied casually, shrugging. Kara playfully frowned, knowing that _wasn’t_ what she had told her. Lena laughed at the knowing look, giving her a mischievous smile.

When she didn’t respond with the truth right away, Kara huffed and looked back ahead of them. Lena looked at her through the corner of her eye, that amused grin still pulling at her crimson lips.

She let Kara sit in silence for a moment before finally answering the question properly. “Really- she did tell me to keep you safe… Because you’ve made me a much happier person, and neither of us think I could handle losing you.”

Kara looked over to her lover, her cheeks bursting with heat. “Oh… I uh… I love you, too.” The last part was a whisper, causing Lena to look over with an affectionate look in her eyes. She reached across the small gap between them and gently put a hand on her leg.

“Thank you for agreeing to do this… It means a lot knowing you have my back.”

Smiling at both the words and the contact, Kara put her hand over Lena’s, squeezing it for a moment before they pulled away. “Thank you for changing your mind about me so early… This is a much easier ride knowing my inevitable death isn’t slowly creeping up on me.” 

Looking back behind them, Kara could see Azazel multiple yards behind them. He was wrapped in chain, being forced to walk behind a mule that he was strapped to. He looked miserable, his eyes dead and his beat up face tight in anger and regret.

Kara felt no pity in her chest for the despicable man, even if she knew exactly how he felt right now. She knew all about the terrible things he did- even outside of the attack on National City –and reasoned that something like this was going to happen to him one day.

Turning back around, Kara got comfortable in her saddle, watching the beautiful city pass them by as they got closer to the gates. The men who were still repairing the broken archway of the city waved down to Lena and Kara, wishing them a good journey.

The rest of the caravan was waiting patiently outside the city. The four second mates- Jac had been replaced with another trusted member of the crew; a young man named Leon –all greeted Lena fondly. Those who also knew Kara also smiled to her, nodding their hello’s.

With everyone gathered, the journey properly started. Both Kara and Lena glanced back to National City as they climbed the hill that protected the city, smiling fondly before they looked out to the misty moors.

**********

The long journey felt simultaneously long and short. The days passed by fast, filled with riding and long breaks by beautiful rivers or lakes. The nights were semi-comfortable, Kara and Lena sneakily sharing a tent.

Compared to the three-day ride Kara had to make to get to National City almost a year ago, this was much more relaxed. She wasn’t dealing with Callum, or having to fight for her life after making an escape attempt.

Kara looked thoughtfully around, watching the moors turn into grassy forests before finally turning into a tropical rain forest. The temperature started to get considerably more humid, despite the cooler temperatures further inland.

On the afternoon of the third day, the large crew finally reached the small village that Kara had been taken to almost a year ago. There wasn’t much different, save for a few new buildings being constructed. Kara looked all over the small settlement, her original anger from when she was first here a mere memory.

It was noticeable that Lena kept glancing at Kara, very obviously trying to read her body language. She knew this town wasn’t exactly a happy memory to Kara, and it seemed she was silently hoping that the reminder of their previous relationship wouldn’t dig up those old emotions.

Kara made a point to look over to her lover, giving her a wide smile when their eyes connected. Her relaxed posture seemed to also help Lena relax, the noticeable anxiety that caused her eyebrows to lower starting to fade away.

“So, are we going to stay in the same inn as last time?” Kara asked, already starting to pull Enzo up short. It was too late in the afternoon to start sailing right away, and there were still some last minute items to be loaded onto the ship’s.

“In a bit, but I actually wanted to show you something,” Lena replied, continuing on through the town with an oddly suspicious look on her face. Furrowing her eyebrows, Kara followed her, tilting her head. “What is it?”

Lena glanced over to Kara, only grinning with an odd glimmer to her eye. “Just a few surprises…”

A few surprises? What did that mean? Kara frowned, her curiosity boiling inside of her as she tried to figure out what Lena could possibly be trying to show her.

Was she going to bring the Leviathan back? As a reminder of the one time they were both mutually happy in this town? Was she going to show her around The Devil’s Heart? Maybe she was going to give Kara her own special cabin or something, and wanted to show her right away.

Only a few crew members followed along with Lena and Kara, the rest going to the tavern or setting up camp on the outside of the town for the night. Those who did follow were all wagons that had supplies to put in Lena’s fleet of ships.

Walking down the path that led to the beach a little ways away, Kara kept trying to guess what the surprises could possibly be. Lena kept her mouth shut, only grinning and giving her lover amused looks. Occasionally she’d mumble a, “You’ll see, don’t worry.”

The long pathway led right up to the beach, the thick forest suddenly opening to show the crystal blue ocean and matching sky. The smell of salt that was vague back in the town was now stronger than ever. Kara instinctively took a deep breath, looking out at the horizon. It’d been months since she’d seen the ocean, her inner sailor buzzing with excitement.

Following the sandy-rock covered path, they rode around the bend of the beach, where The Devil’s Heart had originally been getting repaired, along with the other ships in Lena’s fleet. Instead of the dark ship being stationed in the repair bay, however, it was about a mile out into sea.

Kara studied the ship that still sent a shiver down her spine, staring at the skull with a dripping heart in its mouth. There were six ships in total waiting outside, all of them flying a flag. Kara assumed they were all the same, not bothering to glance at every single image on the black background.

“I see you got two extra ships… You really think you’ll be able to captain six crews?” Kara teased, looking over to Lena with a smirk. Her lover scoffed, her eyes also looking out towards the ships. “I only got one extra one- along with the other to replace the one you took down… That sixth one _was_ Mr. Kieran’s.”

She pointed out towards the second biggest ship, aside from The Devil’s Heart. It had a massive stern that rose three stories tall, with beautiful black and navy blue colors all around. Its figurehead was a beautiful woman wearing Greek armor and holding a sword above her head with a fierce look on her face, made of painted gold wood.

“So what are you going to do with it now that it’s not Azazel’s?” Kara asked, assuming the answer was going to be for Lena to sell it, or keep it as a backup. However, the thoughtful look Lena gave her made her quick an eyebrow.

“Well… Originally I was going to use it for parts or something… But then I remembered I know a very important captain who’s currently been in need of a ship, so I refurbished it over the past month for her.”

Kara looked back out to the ship, nodding casually. “Oh, that’s really nice of you… Who’s this captain friend of yours?” She squinted past the sun, trying to look at the flag that it was flying. Even though she couldn’t exactly see it, she could tell that it was in fact different from Lena’s colors.

Her lover’s silence made Kara look over, confused. Lena was staring at her in disbelief, as if she was shocked that some sort of joke was going right over Kara’s head.

“What?...”

“Kara- you’re joking, right?...”

“No? What, am I supposed to know all your captain friends or something?”

“I… Wha… No! Kara _you’re_ the captain I’m talking about!”

Kara just stared at her blankly for a moment, trying to process what she was being told. She was… She was the captain?

“You… I… Excuse… _Seriously_?!”

She looked back at the ship- her ship –jaw dropping in realization. Excitement flooded through her as she suddenly dropped off of Enzo. Lena laughed joyously, her smile wide as she watched Kara literally jump up and down with exhilaration.

“I’ve been trying to keep this a secret ever since you suggested we go after Victoria… What do you think?” Lena also dismounted her stallion, Kara suddenly bear hugging her before both feet were even on the ground.

Lena gave a little ‘mmph’ noise at the sheer strength of the hug, laughing more as she wrapped her arms around Kara’s neck. “This is literally one of the most amazing things anyone has ever done for me,” Kara mumbled into her shoulder, voice dripping with emotion.

“You haven’t even heard what the new name is, Sweetheart,” Lena smiled, kissing her lover’s cheek as she pulled away to look at her flushed face. Kara furrowed her eyebrows, blue eyes scanning her face for an answer.

“She was originally called the Queen’s Revenge, but I thought we’d add your own personal touch to it… So she’s now called The Oryx’s Revenge.”

There was a long pause where Kara just stared down at Lena, her eyes filled with all the love in the world.

Thankfully all the people who’d followed them onto the beach had already moved past them, allowing Kara to capture Lena’s lips in a deep, passionate kiss. It was sudden, Lena inhaling sharply at the surprising warmth, but smiled into the kiss all the same.

Holding her lover tight, Kara whispered between kisses, “I love you… I love you… Lena Luthor I love you _so much_!” She pulled slightly away, her smile almost painful with how wide it was as she looked down at Lena, blue eyes sparkling with joy.

Lena blushed, slightly breathless from the kiss as she smiled back. “I’m glad you like it, Sweetheart… Would you like to look at it up close?” Kara replied with another passionate kiss, clearly conveying her ecstatic agreement.

Pulling away after a few seconds, she bound towards the crashing waves, looking back at Lena to see if she was following. Wiping away her smeared lipstick, Lena hurried to follow along, Kara giggling at how flustered the kiss made her girlfriend.

There were already small dingies rowing out to all the ships in the harbor, most of them full of supplies and other last minute items. Lena took Kara onto a relatively empty boat, easily controlling the current of the water to take them right to The Oryx’s Revenge.

There were lots of people hustling and bustling around the large deck as Kara climbed the wooden side ladder that led up to the main deck of the ship. She looked around in awe, her jaw wide open. The feeling of having a swaying floor under Kara’s feet was indescribable.

It felt as if she just got a rush of energy; ready to run a marathon. Lena climbed up behind her, but when the crew noticed them they didn’t greet her. Instead they greeted Kara, all of them smiling and nodding to her with a quick, “Captain.”

Hearing herself being once again referd to as captain- and also not having to battle for respect –brought tears to ocean blue eyes. Kara turned to her lover, wordlessly staring at her as she struggled not to cry. Lena smiled softly, her heart swelling.

“Come on, let’s go to your quarters… I’ve got a few more things for you,” she spoke low, carefully grabbing Kara by the elbow to lead her to the tall stern of the ship. “What- _More_?!” Her voice broke in disbelief, allowing herself to be dragged across the main deck.

Entering the captain’s quarters, Kara couldn’t help but pause for a moment, staring around at the room in even more awe. Now the tears in her eyes were flowing freely- luckily they were alone in the room –her nose turning red as she cried tears of joy.

The entire back wall was tall paneled windows, showing the churning sea below. The main room was an office, full of maps and a massive desk on an intricate blue and gold Persian rug. Gold detailing spiraled along the walls, the entire room lit with a beautiful metal chandelier. To Kara’s left there was a matching spiral staircase that led both up and down.

Kara first investigated the downstairs, Lena quietly following her as she sniffled and tried to hide her very obvious tears. The lower level of the quarters- with matching windows along the back –was a brilliant library with multiple comfortable looking chairs, as well as a bench along the windows filled with plush pillows.

Moving upstairs, it looked to be the captain’s bed chambers. Along the front wall was the four-postered bed, the other two available walls filled with chests for clothing, as well as a dressing table with a beautiful tri-fold mirror.

Gazing around the rather comfortable room, Kara noticed that there was an outfit laid out on the plush bed. She glanced to Lena, giving her a curious look. Her lover gestured for her to move closer, smiling wide at her curiosity.

The first thing Kara looked at was the bleached white shirt, the button-down collar held to the front of the shirt with two golden buttons. Down the front of the shirt were three matching buttons that stopped about mid-sternum, intricate golden lace flowing from the chest. The sleeves were long and fitted, cuffed with the same buttons as the rest.

The pants were a navy color, high wasted with dark buttons at the clasp of the pants, as well as down the side- starting from the knee and stopping at the ankle. A belt was folded with the pants, the dyed black leather held together with an intricate golden clasp that looked to be some sort of mandala pattern.

Next to the outfit was a long jacket, golden stitching decorating the front and back with a beautiful swirling pattern that stuck out against the navy blue color. It looked oddly patched together, although the seams added a nice sense of movement to the jacket, drawing your eye all over.

As Kara looked further at the jacket, drawing her fingertips lightly along the folded collar that draped down the opening of the jacket, she noticed that the material felt oddly like her old naval uniform. The color was the exact same, minus the golden lace sewn along it.

“So it’s kind of a silly rule in the pirate world that every captain needs a ‘lucky outfit’,” Lena spoke from behind Kara, causing her to turn around, “So I made sure you could have your own… But, uh…” She trailed off, nervously biting her lip, like she was anxious to explain something.

Carefully stepping forward, Kara wrapped her arms around her lover’s waist. “What is it? You can tell me- I think the outfit is _beautiful_.” Lena smiled at the confirming words, smoothing her hands along Kara’s shoulders and chest.

“I never actually burned your officers uniform…”

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of where this was going to go.

“I-I don’t know why, but… I just kind of kept it, and when I started to wonder if I should actually propose that you uhm… That you _join_ my crew… I had the uniform cleaned, and repurposed into that jacket.” Lena gestured to the jacket on the bed with a nod, green eyes watching Kara process her words.

She turned to look at the coat for a long moment, a flood of memories about her past as a naval captain rushing through her brain. She looked back to Lena, a reminiscent grin spreading across her face. Lena looked relieved to see that she hadn’t overstepped her bounds in destroying the outfit in order to make the jacket.

“I absolutely love it, baby,” Kara hummed, leaning down to softly kiss her lover. Lena happily accepted the sweet kiss, gently grabbing onto the front of her shirt. It was a brief moment, Kara pulling away with a slightly confused look, her curiosity taking over as usual. “But… Join your crew? What do you mean?”

“Oh, uh- well I still don’t have a first mate, and… I was kind of thinking that, while you can still be Captain of this ship, you could also be my first mate and sail along with me- even after all of this is done with.”

Kara’s eye brows shot up to her hairline, surprised by the generous offer after Lena had already given her a ship and her old uniform back. She didn’t even pause to consider the position for two seconds, suddenly leaning in to capture Lena’s still anxiously nibbling lips with her own.

Casually she lowered her hugging arms around her lover’s hips, lifting her up off the ground as if she was weightless. Lena gasped both at the kiss and the display of strength, instinctively wrapping her long legs around Kara’s waist.

“I’d love to be your first mate,” Kara whispered into the kiss, smiling as she felt all the tension in Lena’s body relax at the confirmation. She wanted to question why she thought Kara would ever say no, but her mind was so distracted by her love and passion for the woman in her arms that all questions flew out the window.

Turning and walking over to the large bed, Kara blindly kicked off her old captain’s boots before climbing into the bed with her knees. Lena’s hands were exploring along her flexing shoulders and back, giving a pleased hum as she followed Kara’s train of thought.

She gently set her lover down in the center of the bed, just about to rest her weight between her legs when suddenly she pulled away from the passionate kiss. “Wait,” Kara huffed breathlessly, blue eyes flickering to the dark colored comforter, “Is this Azazel’s bed?”

“What?!” Lena looked bewildered, frantically shaking her head. “No! I made sure that it was burned and sent to hell… This is a brand new bed, I swear on my heart, Sweetheart.” Kara relaxed at the words, laughing a little.

She lowered herself back down, putting her weight on her elbows as she nosed against her lover’s neck. “Good… I’d hate to have sex on such a disgusting thing.” She punctuated the whisper with a kiss just below Lena’s ear, smirking when she felt her breath hitch against her chest.

“Maybe we should lock the door or something?” Lena breathily said, clearly distracted with Kara’s meaningful kisses along her jaw and pulse point. Kara glanced over to the spiral stair case, frowning at the thought of having to get up.

But she knew Lena was right, so she begrudgingly got up and trotted down the stairs to make sure the door was securely locked. Taking two steps at a time back up, Kara briefly paused when she saw that Lena had already pulled off her own boots, and was just discarding her shirt into the floor.

By now Kara had seen Lena topless multiple times, but that didn’t stop her from hungrily staring as if it was the first time. Her girlfriend paused in brushing her loose raven locks back, green eyes holding contact with blue.

A sly smirk pulled across Lena’s crimson lips as she playfully leaned back on her hands, arching her chest ever so slightly. “Are you just going to stare, Sweetheart?” Swallowing thickly, Kara strode over with wide strides, yanking her own shirt off.

The captain’s outfit had already fallen to the ground, Kara casually stepping over it as she crawled back across her new bed to straddle her lover’s thighs. Their lips connected instantly, Lena deeply inhaling as her cool hands splayed across the small of Kara’s back.

The cold temperature made Kara shiver and arch, sighing softly against her girlfriend’s lips as she started to move her hips. She could already feel that low pull of arousal- a show of gratitude towards all that Lena had done for her.

One of Kara’s love languages was acts of service, her body begging to give Lena as much pleasure as possible to express her thanks. She smiled at the feeling of Lena’s hands moving against her, greedily soaking up the affection.

Nipping at Lena’s bottom lip, Kara’s hands wandered up her sides, feeling for the band of her lover’s bra. Lena’s groaned softly at the gentle bite, Kara hungrily laving her tongue into Lena’s mouth, grinning when she felt her reciprocate.

They kissed hungrily, Kara’s fingertips playfully sliding just under the band before undoing the clasp. She tossed the bra off to the side, pausing when she felt Lena’s fingers starting to undo the tie of her pants. She grabbed her hands, gently pushing them away.

“No,” Kara whispered against the kiss, “Let me thank you, first.” She pressed a hand to Lena’s bare sternum, slowly pushing her back. Leaning into her neck, Kara softly ran her tongue all the way from the base to the corner of her jaw.

Lena shivered under her, slowly heating palms pressing into slightly shifting hips. “You don’t need to thank me, Sweetheart,” Lena gasped, involuntarily tilting her head to the side, silently begging for Kara to do that again.

Of course Kara obliged, kissing down the warming skin before slowly licking all the way to her ear. “But I want to, my Goddess,” she whispered, nipping the shell of her ear just as her hands sneakily cupped around two firm breasts.

Arching her back slightly, Lena’s eyes fluttered closed as her brows knitted together. Kara easily sucked a mark just behind her ear, her palms massaging soft flesh. The hands that had once been resting against the front of her hips rounded to grab Kara’s raised ass, squeezing almost aggressively against rough fabric.

Kara moaned softly at the sensation, happily following Lena’s guiding hands to start grinding slowly and sensually against her. She practically purred feeling Lena so easily taking over, the power dynamic sending rolling heat down her spine to settle low in her hips.

She could feel her underwear already starting to stick against her, but Kara refused to give into that low pull, too focused on the goddess under her to even consider having her ‘turn’ first.

Blazing hands shifted against Lena’s breasts, her thumbs starting to slowly circle around and against each nipple. Kara’s teeth nipped against a protruding collar bone, smiling at all the little noises the woman under her was making.

Removing one of her guiding hands from Kara’s ass, Lena pushed her fingers through the roots of golden legs, tangling into her hair with a light fist. She gently tugged, guiding Kara’s burning lips down towards the area her hands currently were.

Smirking against now warm skin, Kara removed one of her massaging hands, but didn’t go straight for a nipple. Instead she kissed along the side of Lena’s breast, sucking a few marks here and there. Her lover shifted her hips under her, Kara moaning at the friction.

She looked up to see dark, hooded green eyes watching her, smiling at the pure arousal on her face. “Now’s not the time to be a brat, Sweetheart.” Kara smiled wide, chuckling as she bumped the tip of her pointed nose against a stiff peak.

“There’s never _not_ a time to be a brat, Goddess.”

Shifting her weight, Kara moved her hips between Lena’s legs, holding herself up with one hand while the other pinched at Lena. She arched at the slight pain, biting her lip as her eyebrows furrowed. Kara bit her own lip, loving how she was the only one who got to see such a sexy look on Lena’s face.

The rough tug at the base of her head forced Kara to move up, lips hovering above the stiffened nipple. A slightly authoritative look pulled across Lena’s face, her eyebrow arching as she stared down into dark blue eyes.

Kara practically purred, smiling even more before slowly pressing her tongue flat against her lover, slowly licking hot skin. Instantly Lena’s eyes fluttered, her already labored breathing picking up into a struggling pace.

Both women moaned together, Kara shifting to get a better angle as she started to move her tongue a little more enthusiastically. Her other hand also moved along with her, palming Lena’s breast hungrily as her teeth briefly grazed over her nipple.

She gave the breasts gave as much attention as Lena wanted, happily biting marks against pale skin. Occasionally she’d pause to kiss the scars on her chest, smiling up to her lover before returning to give her chest more attention.

Only when she could feel Lena starting to grind her core up against her stomach did Kara finally oblige in the main course. Lena untangled her fingers from Kara’s golden mane as she kissed down her torso. She paused where the band of her pants started, licking along her hips as her trained fingers quickly undid the front tie.

Hooking her fingers in both the pants and the underwear, Kara pulled them off of Lena completely. She sat up for a brief moment to stare at the goddess-like body below her, smiling wide. Lena looked back up at her, panting with a painfully turned on face.

Licking her lips, Kara gave her lover a brief kiss before laying between her legs. She shouldered powerful thighs, wrapping her arms to lay across pale hips as she looked at the dripping honey in front of her.

Of all the times they’d slept together, never had they used their mouths; not that either of them disliked getting eaten out, it was just that they were always too impatient not to use their hands or the other’s thigh.

Kara briefly broke her piercing gaze to glance up at Lena, silently checking to make sure she was okay. Lena looked _wrecked_ , visibly trying not to impatiently writhe. She quickly nodded to Kara, opening her thighs just a little wider.

With her lover’s consent, Kara stared by kissing up her thighs. She moved all the way up to the apex of Lena’s thigh before switching to the other. She could tell that the lack of attention to where she wanted Kara the most was starting to get to Lena, her fingers twitching against her hips.

Chuckling, Kara reached forward to intertwine their fingers together before finally dipping forward.

It was like drinking straight from the fountain of youth. Lena tasted _so good_ , both women moaning in unison once again as Kara dragged the flat of her tongue up Lena’s entire length. Her fingers tightened their grip against Kara’s, hips struggling not to buck.

Kara couldn’t get enough, pushing her tongue heavily against soft folds as she did her best to find every inch of skin that was covered in slick cum. Her arms tightened around Lena’s hips, holding her down as her tongue pressed into her clit.

It was obvious Lena was trying to control herself, but it only took a few licks against that little bundle of nerves before she was starting to writhe against the bed. Any sense of dignity was lost as she loosened one of her hands from Kara’s, roughly tanging her fingers into wild golden hair.

She moaned loudly with each breath, gasping encouraging words every few seconds as Kara worked her up. Realizing she was going to fall over the edge way too soon for her liking, Kara forced herself to slow her movements.

Shifting her focus from Lena’s clit, to her entrance, she started circling it with the tip of her tongue. The grip in her hair slightly loosened as Lena started to get her breath back a little bit, although she continued to moan and cuss quite a bit.

Delving her tongue deep into Lena’s fluttering entrance, Kara moaned as she tasted the wetness straight from its source. Lena arched at the sensation, her hold on Kara’s hand almost bone crushing. “Fuck- do that again!”

Kara obliged instantly, pushing her tongue in and out. Even when she felt herself starting to cramp, Kara pushed on until she could tell Lena was getting impatient with the lack of an orgasm. Pulling back, Kara brushed the tip of her nose against her clit before sweetly kissing it.

She gave Lena a moment to get a few deep breaths in before latching her lips around that sweet little bundle of nerves. The reaction was instant as Kara ran her tongue against Lena, feeling both hands grab the side of her face.

Lena’s hips started to grind against Kara’s face, sending a rush of hot wetness pouring out from between Kara’s legs. The moment of control only lasted a few seconds before Lena forced herself to allow Kara to continue, but honestly Kara wished she kept going like that.

Regardless, she was just as happy to keep her tongue moving on its own. Pushing a little more firmly into her lover, Kara tightened her arms around Lena’s hips as she went to town.

It took only a few seconds more before hot liquid splashed against Kara’s chin, Lena’s jaw dropping as she gasped in a deep breath. She arched off the bed, falling silent for a moment before a tumble of “Kara! Fuck, Kara! Oh my god, yes-yes-yes!” poured out of Lena’s mouth.

Kara worked her tongue against Lena as she guided her through her orgasm, only stopping once Lena fell against the mattress. She softly kissed all over her dripping pussy, humming at the string of wetness that connected to her lower lip.

Long fingers curled under her jaw, gently guiding Kara to move up Lena’s sweating body until their lips met. Lena’s hot tongue darted across Kara’s lips, moaning at how she could taste herself. Not getting a chance to even wipe her chin, Kara could only smile at how the cum smeared across Lena’s own face.

They held the kiss for a long moment before finally Kara had to pull away, about to pass out from lack of air. Lena hazily smiled up at her lover, wiping her own chin with the back of her hand. Kara of course smiled back, cleaning herself up a little as well.

She kissed all over Lena’s face and neck for a few minutes, waiting until her girlfriend’s breath wasn’t coming out in uneven gasps before pulling away.

“Do you want another?”

Lena answered by pulling Kara into a deep kiss, rolling her soaking core against flexing abs. “Do you even need to ask?” Lena asked with a smirk, pulling away from the kiss to see the hazy look of arousal in dark blue eyes.

Kara was absentmindedly nodding, breaking eye contact to look down at Lena’s flushed and sweating body. “Can you do something for me?” She looked back into dark green eyes. Lena arched a perfect brow, giving her a questioning look.

“Can you do that thing again- you started to do it towards the end, but then you stopped,” she questioned, shifting her weight from hand to hand. Lena looked confused, her eyebrow only quirking higher. “I don’t know what you’re referring to?” She tilted her head slightly.

“You were uh… Grinding on my tongue… Could you do that again?”

Kara blushed, feeling a little silly about the request, but Lena’s reassuring smile set her quickly at ease. She reached up and gently pressed her pale palm against a blushing cheek, her thumb brushing over high cheek bones.

“I’d love to fuck your face, Sweetheart,” Lena confirmed with a smirk, her dominating personality suddenly taking over. Kara couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a rush of excitement roll through her.

She happily kissed down Lena’s body again- pausing to give her breasts some attention as always –setting between her legs. Her lover watched her the entire way, sighing softly as Kara kissed just above her drooling pussy.

Lying flat, Kara once again guided Lena’s legs over her shoulder. She bumped the tip of her nose against Lena’s clit before taking her tongue once again and laving it up her length until she was pressed firmly against the bundle of nerves.

Reaching carefully down, Lena pressed the pads of her fingers just under Kara’s jaw, her palms holding the side of her face. She guided Kara’s tongue in side to side motions, sighing softly at the blossoming pleasure.

Kara herself couldn’t help but give tiny little moans, her nails gently dragging against sensitive hips. The feeling of her lover guiding her- using her –to give her as much pleasure as possible was probably one of the best feelings in the world.

The side to side motion quickly became up and down strokes, Lena’s fingers flexing against Kara’s jaw as she guided her. Her tongue twitched, half tempted to start moving on its own accord, but the satisfaction of seeing Lena getting herself off was too good to interrupt.

Already sensitive from her previous orgasm, it didn’t take very long before her breathing started to get frantic and uneven. Her hips started to twitch until eventually Lena was just grinding against Kara’s tongue.

Trying to prolong the pleasure for as long as possible, she shifted so that Kara was moving against her entrance. As soon as her tongue pushed into the drooling hole, Lena arched off the bed. She guided her head in thrusting motions, her fingernails digging almost painfully into the bottom of her jaw.

With every passing second Lena got closer and closer to falling off that wonderful cliff. She worked herself up more and more until finally she had Kara return her tongue to her clit just like before. She ground against the textured muscle, groaning with each pass.

The entire time Lena watched herself move against Kara, but as soon as that rush of adrenaline crashed over her, she threw her head back into the pillows. Her hips kept grinding as her back arched off the bed, moaning obscenely as she came _hard_.

The sight was almost enough to almost make Kara orgasm as well. She dared not pull- or look –away, her eyes locked on the spectacle in front of her. Her fingers pressed harder into bucking hips, moaning softly at the sensation of flexing muscle.

Eventually Lena fell back against the bed, releasing her hold on Kara’s face. Slowly pulling away, Kara wiped her mouth with her hand before moving up to kiss along Lena’s ajar jaw. “Fuck, baby… That looked so good,” Kara whispered, pushing her navel gently against Lena’s core to tease her.

She moaned softly, long fingers gripping her hip as she gently pushed her away, much too sensitive. Kara chuckled, shifting to lay on her side next to her lover. She slowly trailed her fingers feather light up and down Lena’s side, watching her slowly get her breath back.

Blinking, she looked up at dark blue eyes, smiling at how soft they were. “Thank you, Sweetheart…” Kara chuckled, leaning down to kiss Lena. Just before their lips met she whispered, “That’s my line.”

They kissed slowly and passionately for multiple minutes, Kara ignoring the sore muscles in her jaw and tongue. She was so into the kiss that she almost missed the sensation of Lena’s hands starting to tug at the waist of her pants.

She pulled away, looking down to see her trying to work them off of Kara’s hips, scoffing. “Do you need me to do that for you?” Kara questioned, shifting to sit up so she could remove her own pants. Lena laughed, also sitting up.

“Want to try something?” Green eyes glimmered mischievously, a wide smile pulling at once crimson lips. Kara looked at the look warily, sitting back on her legs. She didn’t miss how Lena glanced down between her legs, her teeth capturing her bottom lip.

The look is what made Kara agree with a nod and a breathless, “Yeah, okay.”

“Good… Then come with me.”

Lena jumped off the bed, quickly running to go downstairs. Confused as to why this idea had to do with something downstairs, Kara quickly followed. “What’s going on? What do you want to try?” Of course Lena gave no answer, only smirking as she glanced back to Kara.

She moved over to stand by the large cedar desk, leaning the back of her hips against it. “I want you to bend over the desk,” Lena instructed, patting the empty surface behind her. Kara paused, arching her eyebrow.

“Excuse me?”

Pushing off of the desk, Lena noticeably put an extra sway to her hips as she walked over to where Kara stood. She slowly circled around to her back, warm palms pressing against the back of her shoulders. Lena stood up on her tip toes, bumping her nose against the shell of Kara’s ear.

“I want you to bend over that desk… So I can _fuck you_.”

The shiver that ran up Kara’s spine was indescribable. Before she was even thinking about it, she was walking over to the desk, pressing both palms against the cool surface. Lena chuckled behind her, mumbling a, “Good girl…”

Once again her hands pressed into Kara’s back, pushing her gently until she was laying her entire torso against the cedar top. The front of her hips bumped into the edge of the desk, her pussy begging for any sort of friction.

Wordlessly Lena leaned forward to press her lips against the back of Kara’s neck. “Try not to be too loud… Your crew might hear you falling apart around Captain Athena’s fingers…” She dragged her nails down Kara’s sides, sending goose bumps erupting across her skin as she moaned deep in her chest.

Lena kissed all along her back, marking almost every single vertebra and rib as she bit erotically against toned muscle. Kara struggled to keep her voice down, shifting to press her face into her crossed arms to muffle her moans.

It felt like Lena would never give her drooling cunt the attention it was begging for. She was much too interested in sucking deep purple hickies along her lovers back. Although as soon as she started to whisper soft, “I love you”’s between each mark, Kara wasn’t entirely sure she cared about the teasing anymore.

Finally- oh god finally –Lena pushed Kara’s legs apart with her foot. She greedily palmed her firm ass, grinning in the particularly loud moan Kara let out. Her breathing was erratic as she tried to avoid pushing too hard into Lena’s hands.

“God, Sweetheart… You’re _dripping_.”

Long fingers dragged through hot folds, making Kara’s knees almost give out. The sensation sent a rush of relief through her as she moaned at the touch. She could practically feel Lena’s smile radiating against her back, but she didn’t dare unbury her face, afraid that she’d get too loud.

Of course Lena didn’t give her exactly what she wanted straight away. First she just circled around Kara’s pussy, only lightly brushing against her entrance or clit for a few agonizing seconds. She then started to simply move around the edge of Kara’s opening, refusing to dip her fingers in.

Her arousal was almost painful, cum dripping from her lips onto the floor. “Lena… Lena, baby… _Please_ , Lena!” Kara begged, pushing back into the agonizing touch. Lena smiled, chuckling almost evilly.

“What do you want me to do, Sweetheart?”

“You know what I want, baby…”

“I do- but I want you to say it.”

“Fuck, Lena… I want you to finger me till I can’t cum anymore, god dammit!”

Suddenly two long fingers pushed deep into Kara’s weeping entrance. The pleasure over ruled the slight burning pain, Kara’s gasp turning into a filthy moan as she rested all her weight onto the desk. Again Lena chuckled behind her, slowly pumping her fingers in and out.

“What a good girl…”

Kara practically purred at the praise, moaning softly with each little thrust. “Faster… Please…” Lena obliged, moving both faster and curling her fingers powerfully against twitching walls. She thrusted deep into Kara before pulling out to tease at her entrance.

The buildup from both getting Lena off earlier, and all the teasing made it so that Kara was already teetering on the edge of orgasm within only a minute or two. Each thrust sent hot waves of pleasure through her muscles and hips.

Finding the perfect speed and pattern, Lena worked Kara up quickly. She pressed her free hand against the small of Kara’s back, adding countless words of endearment as she felt her lover getting closer and closer to the brink or orgasm.

“Come on, Sweetheart… God you look so beautiful- you’re doing so well… You can do it, Kara… Cum for me, baby girl.”

The words had Kara tumbling over the edge within seconds. She could hear Lena’s voice continuing to speak, but she was so lost in the blinding pleasure that she couldn’t process her words. Her entire body flexed powerfully, hips pushing back into thrusting fingers hungrily.

The orgasm lasted for what felt like forever, thighs shaking and hips bucking with every passing second.

Slowly the orgasm faded to the dull thundering of Kara’s heart between her legs. She panted heavily against the desk, shifting to rest her hot cheek against the cool surface. Lena leaned forward, smiling against her lovers back as she sweetly kissed her shoulder blades.

“Good job, Sweetheart… That was so fucking sexy,” Lena mumbled into sweaty skin. Kara could only sigh in response, her eyes closed in pure bliss.

For a few minutes they sat like that, Lena kissing along her girlfriend’s shoulders and spine until she felt like Kara was ready for what she was about to do next.

The fingers that never left her dripping pussy started to slowly pumped in and out, Kara tensing at the sensation. Lena worked her up until she was breathlessly whining with each drag of her fingers over her g-spot.

Then, Lena added her other hand. Reaching around the front of Kara’s hips, she started to loosely move her fingers in lazy circles around her clit. Kara flinched with another filthy moan. She shifted head out of her arms, showing her flushed and borderline pornographic face to Lena.

Biting her lip to hold back her own moan, Lena started to move with increased vigor. Her fingers dipped roughly against flexing walls while the others tightened their circling. Lena didn’t know what to look at; Kara’s panting face, her bucking ass, or her flexing back.

It all drove her nuts, begging to be smeared with lipstick that had been kissed off long ago. It was less than a year ago that Lena had wondered what Kara would look like with lipstick and bite marks all over her, and now she knew.

She looked absolutely _gorgeous_ …

Before either of them knew it, Kara was cumming messily against Lena’s fingers once again. Her hands balled into powerful fists, her back and biceps tensing as her thighs trembled. Cum leaked down her legs, dripping onto the floor beneath them as she soundlessly screamed.

Lena slowed her hands, but didn’t stop them completely. She watched Kara slowly relax, panting as if she just ran a marathon. Lena bit her lip, grinning at the beautiful woman as her eyes slowly opened to show that addicting bright blue- now engulfed in wide pupils.

“Do you want more, Sweetheart?...”

“Yes please… My Goddess…”

**********

It was odd walking back into the tavern that Kara had once been imprisoned in. she looked around the familiar setting, yet the thoughts she had the first time she saw the establishment didn’t replay in her mind.

Instead of being full of anger and hatred, she was full of awe and much more understanding of the town. The same bar maid that Kara had seen so many months ago looked up from the table she was serving, greeting both Kara and Lena fondly.

She seemed to recognize Kara- whether if it was from her face, or the color of her new captain’s jacket, who knew -giving her a once over before turning back to her table. Just like last time, the inn was full of Lena’s crew, and their room had already been paid for them by some of the second mates.

Lena led the way into the tavern, finding the same exact table they had sat at last time, but this time with the much kinder faces. She glanced back to Kara, silently checking in on her to make sure she was okay. Kara smiled reassuringly, her head surprisingly void of any negative emotions.

Maybe it was because of her new status as both captain and first mate, or maybe it was the amazing sex she just had with the love of her life, but Kara felt rather floaty. She happily sat down next to Lena, listening to her announce Kara’s new titles.

All the second mates cheered for her, congratulating ‘Captain Danvers’ on her new ship. The atmosphere in the tavern was so much different to Kara, feeling more like a happy family gathering rather than a pack of hungry dogs compared to last time.

She enjoyed conversing with the other mates and Lena, smiling fondly at how relaxed everyone was. Even when the tavern owner came over to ask for their dinner order it felt different. Kara was actually able to order for herself, and she wasn’t full of curiosity when Lena only ordered a small ale.

The food was amazing compared to the stale roll of bread and cup of water Kara ate last time she was here. The stew was hearty, and the leg of meat that came with it practically melted in Kara’s mouth when she bit into it.

The night passed by with ease, Kara leaning back in her seat as she tried not to show how exhausted she was- both from the day of travel, as well as the ‘consummating’ of Kara’s new ship. Lena noticed her slowly quieting lover, looking over to her with a curious look as she pretended to drink her ale.

Leaning over, Lena spoke quietly into Kara’s ear. “Why don’t you take a bath and head to bed? I’ll follow you upstairs in a little bit.” Kara smiled at the idea of a bath, nodding in agreement. She called the inn owner over, requesting for a hot bath to be drawn whenever she had the time.

The owner nodded, politely smiling. “I’ll get that started right away, Captain Danvers.”

Kara swelled at the title, her cheeks hurting from how wide her smile was. The inn keeper hurried away to start the bath, Kara continuing her conversation with the other mates and Lena.

It didn’t take long for the water to be warmed for Kara, the bar maid coming back down after a bit to inform Kara that it was ready. Thanking the inn keep, Kara excused herself to go upstairs, trying not to smile too noticeably to Lena.

The room that Kara was given was just across from the original room she had stayed in her first night on the island. She glanced at the door, but decided to not go in- it wouldn’t be smart to test her good mood too much.

Instead she veered into the new room, glancing around the homely decorations before starting to carefully undress from her captain’s outfit. The water was still steaming hot, but that didn’t bother Kara as she stepped into the large tub.

She soaked for about twenty minutes before there was a small knock on the door. “Captain Danvers? Are you decent?” Lena’s voice called through the door, almost theatrically. Kara laughed to herself, calling for Lena to come in.

Her lover carefully closed and locked the door behind her as she stepped into the room, beaming wide. “You excited for tomorrow?” Lena asked, pulling up a chair next to the tub so she could casually dip her fingers into the hot water.

“Nervous might be a better word,” Kara admitted, reaching up to playfully dance their fingertips together under the water. Lena tilted her head, studying her girlfriends face. “Why’s that, Sweetheart?”

“It’s just been a while… What if I’ve forgotten?”

“Kara... Sailing is muscle memory, you’ll remember everything as soon as we set sail. I was gone for almost two years from the sea and I _still_ remember how to captain a ship… You’ll do amazing, baby girl- I can feel it in my heart.”

Kara smiled at the reassuring and sweet words. She stretched up towards Lena, silently asking for a kiss. Grinning, her girlfriend happily obliged. They kissed slowly, Lena reaching up to gently cup the back of Kara’s neck.

Eventually she pulled away, requesting that Kara dip her head back into the water to wet her hair. Confused, but trusting, Kara did as she was asked. Resurfacing, she noticed Lena reaching for the shampoo and scented oil’s provided by the inn.

Lena shifted her chair so that she was behind Kara, squirting some shampoo into her hand before lathering it against her palm. She massaged it against Kara’s hair, digging her fingers gently into her scalp.

“I remember the first time I saw you,” Lena’s voice gently broke through Kara’s relaxing thoughts. She hummed softly to show that she was listening, her eyes closed. “I thought ‘It’s a shame that I have to kill her… She looks so sweet’…”

Kara opened her eyes, tilting her head back to look at Lena. “I wish my thoughts were a little nicer when I first saw you…” Kara frowned, her girlfriend looking thoughtfully down at her. “Maybe when we meet in our next life, it’ll be a less violent and hate-filled…”

Smiling at the thought of meeting Lena in the next life, Kara reached up and brushed her wet fingers against her pale cheek. “I’d love that.”

They briefly kissed upside down before Lena softly asked Kara to rinse her hair. She dipped down, scrubbing the soap from her golden mane before sitting back up. Lena was standing, moving her chair back to the corner before grabbing a towel.

“Did you ever hold a funeral for Winn?”

Kara furrowed her eyebrows, standing and stepping out of the tub while Lena wrapped the towel around her from behind. “No,” she frowned, “I didn’t have time… I just said a few words for him every once and a while in my head.”

Lena hugged her arms around Kara, resting her chin on her wet shoulder. “You should do that tomorrow; before we set off for the main land.” They were silent for a moment, Lena shifting further into Kara’s back.

“Will you come to the funeral with me?”

“I won’t ruin it for you?” Lena’s eyebrows knitted together, leaning to look at Kara’s face.

“I think it’d be a good way for both of us to get some closure.”

A small- if not anxious -smile tugged at Lena’s lips as she studied her lover’s face. She pulled away from the hug to face Kara fully. “If you want me there, I’ll be there.” Lena briefly kissed Kara, smiling when she saw the happy glimmer in blue eyes.

“I’d love that, thank you!” She pushed in for another kiss, dropping the towel around her still damp body to properly wrap her arms around Lena.

They both laughed sweetly together, Lena pulling back to softly kiss Kara’s nose.

“Alright, Captain Danvers; I think you should get ready for bed… We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaay, Kara has a ship again!  
> Also I'm still debating if I wanna put Alex and Eliza in this fic or not, just because I have no idea how to work Alex into accepting that Kara is a pirate now... Who knows.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!  
> -Aries
> 
> (I was eating while proof reading this, so it's probably full of typos)


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